DefenseIndia clears plan to acquire 114 Rafale fighters and additional P-8I aircraft
India has granted initial approval for a military procurement package valued at 3.6 trillion rupees ($40 billion), including the acquisition of 114 Dassault Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force and additional Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian Navy.
The Defence Acquisition Council cleared the proposals this week, according to India’s defence ministry. The measures require final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and formal contracts have yet to be signed.
Local media reported that the 114 Rafale jets could be acquired under a deal worth about 3.25 trillion rupees. Around 18 aircraft are expected to be delivered in fly-away condition to address near-term operational requirements, with the remainder to be manufactured in India.
If completed, the order would significantly expand India’s Rafale fleet. The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale fighters, while the navy signed a contract in April for 26 Rafale-Marine variants to equip its aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. A new order for 114 aircraft would take the total Rafale fleet across the services to 176 jets.
The package also includes additional Boeing P-8I maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft for the navy, as well as missiles for the air force and anti-tank weapons for the army, according to the defence ministry. The ministry did not disclose quantities for the P-8I aircraft, but it is understood that six aircraft are planned, which would join the current fleet of 12 jets.
The approvals come as the Indian Air Force’s fighter squadron strength has fallen to about 29, below the previously stated requirement of 42 squadrons. India has recently retired its MiG-21 fleet, and older variants of the MiG-29, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 are scheduled to phase out in the coming years.
The Rafale procurement also precedes a planned visit to India by French President Emmanuel Macron.
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