The Indian Air Force’s proposal to procure 114 additional Rafale fighter jets is to go before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India later this month.
The French President Emmanuel Macron will visit India for an AI Summit in New Delhi from February 15 to 17.
Officials stated the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Minister Rajnath Singh, will meet soon to grant Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the multi-billion-dollar program.
The Defence Procurement Board, under the Defence Secretary, already cleared the proposal last month, advancing it toward formal negotiations, stated Hindustan Times.
According to the proposal, India plans to buy 18 off-the-shelf Rafales from Dassault Aviation, with the remaining 96 built in India via private sector partnerships. Several will be twin-seaters for training purposes.
Following DAC approval, the next steps are commercial negotiations, followed by clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India already operates 36 Rafale jets as part of the Indian Air Force’s fleet. Deployed during Operation Sindoor in May 2025 against Pakistan, these aircraft played a pivotal role in strikes on terror and military targets in Pakistan and PoK after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people in April last year.
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Rafales are armed with advanced systems like the cutting-edge systems, SCALP cruise missiles, Meteor air-to-air missiles, and HAMMER precision-guided bombs, Rafales destroyed enemy terror bases and aircraft during the operation.
India and France are intensifying discussions on this deal alongside 26 Rafale-M jets for the Navy under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. This push addresses critical IAF squadron shortages exacerbated by delays in Tejas Mk1A deliveries. With Macron’s visit looming, the timing underscores deepening Franco-Indian defence ties and urgency to modernize amid regional threats.
According to sources, India and France are also advancing a major deal for SCALP cruise missiles, integrated with Rafale fighters, following their proven success in Operation Sindoor last year.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
