Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to India from February 17, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, on Thursday gave initial clearance for a mega-deal to induct of 114 Rafale fighter aircraft with planned production in India through technology transfer from the original manufacturer, Dassault Aviation.
The deal, likely to cost around Rs. ₹3.25 lakh crore for 114 Rafales, had got a nod from Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) last month, the media reported on Thursday.
The contract is expected to be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before India and France likely ink during Macron’s visit the acquisition of these fighter aircraft, which will have indigenous weapon systems, ammunitions, and radars. The Rafale acquisition will enhance the IAF’s operational capability.
The move will meet long-standing requirement of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to bridge depleting strength at a time when threat perception after the Operation Sindoor remains high.
The DAC also cleared procurement items required by the tri-services as this is the last quarter of the current financial year, 2025-26.
The DAC granted the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the multi-billion-dollar programme. The DAB, chaired by the Defense Secretary, had already cleared the Rafale acquisition proposal in January, bringing formal negotiations with Dassault Aviation closer to conclusion.
The mega-deal is among India’s largest fighter aircraft procurements. The announcement came as the IAF is grappling with an acute squadron shortfall, operating around 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42 amid rising threat perceptions along India’s western, eastern, and northern borders.
Under the plan, 18 jets will be delivered in fly-away condition, while the remaining 96 will be assembled in India. Around 80 percent of the fleet is projected to be manufactured indigenously, with local content potentially reaching 60 percent under the Make in India initiative.
The IAF will induct 88 single-seat and 26 twin-seat variants. Dassault Aviation is likely to partner with India’s private sector companies for local manufacturing, assembly, and support, strengthening the country’s domestic defense production ecosystem.
The IAF received its first five Rafale jets at Air Force Station Ambala in July 2020. Currently, India operates two Rafale squadrons: No. 17 ‘Golden Arrows’ in Ambala, Haryana, and No. 101 ‘Falcons’ in West Bengal’s Hasimara, with the latter officially commissioned in July 2021.
The DAC also cleared the procurement of combat missiles and Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS), and other hardware, bringing the total, including Rafale, to an estimated cost of Rs 3.6 lakh crores.
These will enhance the ability to secure air superiority across the full spectrum of conflict and substantially increase its deterrence posture through long-range offensive strike capability.
The induction of advanced combat missiles will improve stand-off ground attack capabilities, enabling deep precision strikes with high levels of accuracy. The AS-HAPS will be deployed for sustained intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, including electronic intelligence gathering, secure communications, and remote sensing for military applications.
Defense analysts have also flagged increasing strategic coordination between Pakistan and China, and between Pakistan and Bangladesh, as factors intensifying regional security concerns. Recent combat experience, including Operation Sindoor, underlined the importance of the 4.5-generation Rafale in offensive roles, given its arsenal of advanced weapons such as Meteor and SCALP missiles and laser-guided bombs.
The Rafale induction is expected to meet the IAF’s requirement for a 4.5-generation-plus multirole fighter for the foreseeable future, especially as India’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) remains some years away and HAL’s Tejas Mk-1A program has been slowed by delays in engine supplies from US-based General Electric (GE).
For the Indian Army, AoN was granted for the procurement of Vibhav anti-tank mines and the overhaul of vehicle platforms for Armored Recovery Vehicles (ARVs), T-72 tanks, and BMP-II Infantry Combat Vehicles. The Vibhav mines will be deployed as part of an anti-tank obstacle system to slow or restrict the movement of enemy mechanized formations. The overhaul of the ARVs, T-72s and BMP-IIs is aimed at extending the operational life of these platforms, thereby maintaining equipment readiness and improving overall combat effectiveness.
For the Indian Navy, AoN was approved for the acquisition of a 4 MW Marine Gas Turbine-based Electric Power Generator and additional P-8I Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft. The induction of the 4 MW generator under the Make-I category of the Defense Acquisition Procedure 2020 is expected to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and promote self-reliance in meeting the Navy’s power generation needs.
The procurement of P-8I aircraft will enhance the Navy’s long-range anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance and maritime strike capabilities. For the Indian Coast Guard, AoN was agreed for the procurement of Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) systems for Dornier aircraft, which will strengthen its maritime surveillance operations.
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