India to buy 114 Rafale jets; 96 will be 'assembled in India'

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday cleared proposals worth ₹3.60 lakh crore, including the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The approval grants Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), combat missiles and Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS).

According to the defence ministry, a majority of the Rafale jets will be manufactured in India. The MRFA acquisition is aimed at enhancing the IAF’s air dominance capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict and significantly strengthening its long-range offensive strike and deterrence capacity. The combat missiles will provide deep-strike power with high accuracy, improving stand-off ground attack capability.

The AS-HAPS platforms will be deployed for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, telecommunications and remote sensing for military purposes. The approvals come at a time when the IAF’s fighter squadron strength has dropped to 29, below the sanctioned strength of 42, with several ageing aircraft nearing retirement.

In addition to the IAF upgrades, the DAC also cleared proposals for the Army, including procurement of Anti-Tank Mines (Vibhav) and overhaul of vehicle platforms such as Armoured Recovery Vehicles, T-72 tanks and BMP-II infantry combat vehicles. The Navy will receive clearance for 04 MW Marine Gas Turbine based Electric Power Generators and P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft to enhance anti-submarine warfare and maritime strike capabilities.