Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh was on an important four-day visit to France to advance the mega ₹3.25 lakh crore ($39 billion) deal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets. This visit came immediately after the Indian Defence Ministry issued a formal Letter of Request (LoR) to the French government. Earlier, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, met on 12 February and gave the nod to 114 additional Rafale jets. After the DAC granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), the project moved to the crucial stage of issuing the Request for Proposal (RFP), followed by technical evaluation, field trials (if necessary), and commercial negotiations. For major acquisitions, final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is required before the contract is signed.
The deal will have a Make in India Focus. Under the current proposal, roughly 90 to 96 aircraft will be manufactured in India through a joint partnership between Dassault Aviation and an Indian private sector company. The remaining aircraft (likely around 18 to 24 jets) will be supplied directly from France in a flyaway condition to meet immediate operational requirements. France was expected to reply with detailed pricing, logistics, and production timelines within 2 to 3 months, after which formal price negotiations will begin.
The Air Chief was scheduled to hold high-level discussions with senior officials from Dassault Aviation and MBDA (missile suppliers). The Chief was expected to tour the French manufacturing facilities to understand the technical cooperation and production capacities involved in the project. Discussions centred on the transfer of technology and integrating indigenous Indian weapons and avionics systems without compromising protected proprietary software. The new induction is aimed at arresting the steady decline in the IAF’s fighter squadron strength.
The Fighter Aircraft Urgency
As of date, the IAF fields only 29 fighter aircraft squadrons against an authorised strength of 42.5, a gap aggravated by delays in indigenous programs. IAF thus needs additional fighter aircraft. IAF’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program is meant to acquire 114 advanced fighter jets to replace ageing fleets and bolster squadron strength. There were eight contenders who responded to the RFI (Request for Information) that was formally sent out in April 2018. Valued around $20–$39 billion, the deal focuses on indigenous manufacturing. The program aims to address severe operational gaps.
Any detailed selection process would require time. Rafale has been tried and tested in various exercises and, more recently, on “Op Sindoor.” Rafale would retain continuity and avoid adding another fleet. A government-to-government (G2G) deal could be signed quickly as the price identification already exists. 114, when added to 26 Rafale-Marine (Rafale-M) of the Indian Navy, would make a viable figure for make-in-India and to set up a full assembly line. There is already a project to make Rafale fuselage in India. France’s Safran is establishing a dedicated facility in Hyderabad, India, for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of the M88 engines used in the Rafale fighter jets. India’s future fighter fleet will not only be a military asset but as a central pillar of the country’s operational capabilities and national strategy.
Meanwhile, the US has cleared a $686-million upgrade package for Pakistani F-16 fighter jets that will also extend the life of the Pakistani F-16 fleet till 2040. China already has nearly 400 J-20 fifth-generation fighters. Pakistan is already operating J-10C fighters armed with PL-15 long-range beyond-visual-range (LR-BVR) missiles. Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has sought to acquire the Chinese J-35 fifth-generation aircraft, which could be inducted as early as 2027. With China and Pakistan working in collusion, and by adding and modernising their fighter fleets, regional military balances are undergoing significant transformation. India thus needs to act on many counts.
Broad Outline
In April 2025, through an additional inter-governmental agreement, a contract for 26 Rafale-Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy costing ₹63,887 crore (approximately $7.6 billion) was signed. The Rafale-M has 95 per cent commonality with IAF fighters, and thus a very high degree of interoperability. India’s Rafale deal will include 88 single-seat and 26 twin-seat variants. The deal is likely to include 18 to 24 jets in fly-away condition, and the remaining to be manufactured domestically, boosting India’s defence manufacturing under the Make-in-India initiative with up to 60 per cent indigenous content. The jets will likely be assembled at a final assembly line expected to be established in Nagpur. IAF’s current Rafale are F3R standard. 90 of the new aircraft will be F4 multirole fighters. The remaining 24 are likely to be next-generation F5 variants. The deal will include SCALP and advanced variants of Meteor missiles.
IAF’s Existing Rafale – F3R Standard
The Rafale is considered a 4.5-generation fighter. It has forward hemisphere stealth, and super-cruise capability. IAF Rafale aircraft are highly customised with some India-specific modifications. Essentially, they are of F3-plus standard. India initially acquired the 36 Rafale F3R variants through a €7.87 billion deal (approximately $8.5 billion) signed in 2016. It was a G2G contract prioritising speed and political assurance. The platform combined air superiority, deep-strike, nuclear delivery, and electronic warfare roles. The aircraft had significant India-specific enhancements, and the deal included infrastructure for two full operational airbases. During Op Sindoor, Rafale’s survivability and the integration of long-range stand-off munitions, electronic attack, and real-time data fusion were demonstrated and appreciated.
India-Specific Enhancements included Israeli helmet-mounted displays, Integration of Spice-1000 glide bombs, advanced jammers, cold-start capability for high-altitude bases (like Leh), Indian satellite communications, and integration with indigenous weapons like Astra missiles, among others. The F3R standard became operational around 2019. It serves as a bridge to the next-generation F4 standard, which adds advanced connectivity and further capabilities.
Rafale F4
Development of the F4 standard began in 2019. The standard improved on-board processing, external connectivity, and upgrade of the Thales Spectra self-defence system. The radar and sensor upgrades facilitate the detection of airborne stealth targets at long range. With improved communications equipment, it is also more effective in network-centric warfare. Flight tests began in 2021, and the first F4-standard aircraft was delivered in 2023. The French Air and Space Force (FASF) aircraft are being upgraded to this standard. UAE is the first foreign customer of F4. The UAE‘s deal to acquire 80 Dassault Rafale F4 fighter jets from France was for $19 billion finalized in December 2021.
F4 will give enhanced survivability and sensor-fusion-based dominance in a highly contested environment. The aircraft will be able to integrate Indian systems and weapons such as the Astra Mk-2 BVR AAM. The Indian proposal envisages F4 aircraft deliveries beginning around 2029. The F4 continues to see planned upgrades till 2035, and thus extending both capability and relevance.
Rafale F5
Dassault and its partners are already working on the F5 standard that will be ready by around 2030. The upgrade will be incremental. F5 will share some features with the next-generation European aircraft. The F5 standard will have new sensors, armaments, and faster and more secure ability to communicate and collaborate. The aircraft will have a much better electronic-warfare suite, with advanced capability for Suppression or Destruction of Enemy Defences (SEAD/DEAD), using latest jamming systems and anti-radiation weapons. It will be a further evolution of the existing SPECTRA EW and jamming system and will also create a “defensive bubble” around the aircraft. F5 will also introduce fibre-optic cabling. All this will greatly improve penetration in contested environments. The F5 will also act as a sensor-truck with data fusion and processing abilities that allow it a tactical flying command post role. The F5 is envisioned to bridge fifth and sixth-generation capabilities.
The F5 will also be modified to carry the Anglo-French Future Cruise Missile (FCM) and Future Anti-Ship Missile (FASM). The T-REX engine will deliver nearly 20 per cent greater thrust than the current M88-2. The “Super Rafale” will also be modified to carry hypersonic, nuclear-capable, guided missiles. Dassault calls it an Air Combat System within a system, rather than just a fighter jet, like the current F4 variant is.
F5 deliveries initially were planned to start in 2029 but discussions are underway to deliver them starting in 2027. France continues to see a market for F5 for those unable to acquire the F-35 for geopolitical reasons. The Rafale is distinct from other European fighters because it is almost entirely built by one country with Dassault (airframe), Thales (avionics and EW) and Safran (aero-engine) covering all the major systems. Rafale also has a carrier-based maritime variant. French officials had reportedly also considered equipping the Rafale to launch small satellites.
The likely India deal envisages 24 F5 with deliveries from around 2030. The F4 aircraft may also be upgraded later. Rafale would become a cornerstone of India’s Operational credibility and deterrence. The Rafale is planned to be the FASF‘s primary combat aircraft until at least 2040.
Make in India Aero-Engine with France
French aerospace company Safran and India’s DRDO have joined to develop India’s first jet engine with Indian intellectual property rights (IPR). Safran will transfer 100 percent technology to DRDO, including that for crystal blades. The joint project between Safran and India‘s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a DRDO lab will develop and produce 120 Kilo Newton (kN) engine which will power India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Later engine variants will have up to 140 KN thrust.
Rafale Current Production Rate
In October 2025, Dassault hailed the production of the 300th Rafale. As of late 2025, there have been 533 firm orders for the Rafale, with France and export customers including India, Egypt, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the UAE, Serbia, and Indonesia. Of these, nearly 210 are still to be delivered. There are more countries showing interest. When the 114 aircraft deal goes through, the numbers will be even more significant.
Till a year back, the Rafale production rate was 2 aircraft a month (24 a year). The same has now been increased to 3 per month (36 per year), with a plan to increase to 4 per month (48 a year) to handle a growing backlog of orders. This is a significant increase from previous years and is supported by expansion at the Mérignac factory and new facilities in Cergy-Pontoise. Dassault already has plans to make the Rafale fuselage in India. With increased Indian order, a full assembly line will be created in India. This would give a great boost to total production. Making in India would also be cheaper. Dassault could thus source and supply India-made Rafale jets for global customers. Such a plant would also increase India–France options for future aircraft.
To Summarise
India is prioritising domestic manufacturing to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. India’s capability to make global-class aerostructures has been proven with cabins of Apache AH-64, Sikorsky S-92 helicopter and Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. India also makes Lockheed Martin F-16 wings. India makes the entire indigenous LCA. Making the Rafale in India will work out much cheaper for France.
Made in India F4 and F5 will help learning for India’s AMCA program which too will be imbibing sixth-generation technologies. India will insist on achieving over 60 percent indigenous content at the earliest. The same will be possible as the fuselage and many sub-systems and components will be made in India. Dassault Aviation has already partnered with Tata Advanced Systems Limited to manufacture Rafale fuselage sections in Hyderabad, with a targeted production of up to 24 airframes annually. French engine manufacturer Safran is building the M88 engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in Hyderabad for global support. Dassault Aviation has established an MRO facility near Noida, Uttar Pradesh, for the Indian Air Force‘s Rafale and Mirage 2000 fleets. These will substantially reduce lifecycle costs, improve tarmac availability, and secure from supply chain complexities.
Traditionally, India and France have enjoyed an exceptionally warm relationship, which is the fruit of deep affinities and the unwavering trust between the two countries since India’s independence. France is considered as the most reliable Western “friend”. It will make better operational and economic sense for India to acquire the latest variants F4 and F5 in a G2G deal and Make-in-India. A lot of time has been lost. The time to act is now, lest we get “OBE” (overtaken by events) in our neighbourhood.
Header Picture Credit: Representative Image Generated using AI
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