Purchase Of 114 Rafales, India's Biggest Military Buy, Clears Major Hurdle

India has approved a proposal worth Rs 3.25 lakh crore to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF), marking the biggest defence acquisition in the country's history.

The clearance was granted by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, which accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to the programme. The decision comes ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's forthcoming official visit to New Delhi.

According to sources, the proposal includes the purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France for the IAF. Of these, 18 aircraft will be procured off-the-shelf from French defence manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The remaining 96 jets will be manufactured in India. 

The deal will include the transfer of advanced fighter jet technology and will be structured as a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening the government's 'Make in India' programme. Following the Defence Ministry's approval, the acquisition will require final clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Approvals Worth Rs 3.60 Lakh Crore

The Defence Acquisition Council, under Rajnath Singh's chairmanship, accorded AoN for multiple proposals of the armed services at an estimated total value of about Rs 3.60 lakh crore today. 

For the Indian Air Force, AoN was granted not only for the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme -- identified as the Rafale -- but also for Combat Missiles and an Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS).

The procurement of the MRFA is intended to enhance the IAF's capability to undertake air dominance roles across the full spectrum of conflict. Officials said it would significantly strengthen the force's deterrence posture, particularly through long-range offensive strike capability. A majority of the aircraft under the MRFA programme will be manufactured domestically.

The Combat Missiles cleared under the AoN are designed to enhance stand-off ground attack capability, providing deep strike power with very high accuracy.

The AS-HAPS platform will be deployed for persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Electronic Intelligence, telecommunications, and remote sensing for military applications.

Army And Navy Procurements

For the Army, AoN was granted for the procurement of Anti-Tank Mines (Vibhav) and for the overhaul of vehicle platforms of Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs), T-72 tanks and Infantry Combat Vehicles (BMP-II).

The Vibhav anti-tank mines are intended to be laid as part of an anti-tank obstacle system to delay the advance of enemy mechanised forces. The overhaul of ARVs, T-72 tanks and BMP-II vehicles is expected to extend the service life of these platforms.

For the Navy, the DAC cleared AoN for a 04 MW Marine Gas Turbine-based Electric Power Generator and for additional P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft.

The 04 MW Marine Gas Turbine-based Electric Power Generator will be inducted under the Make-I category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020. 

The acquisition of additional P-8I aircraft will enhance the Navy's long-range anti-submarine warfare capability, maritime surveillance, and maritime strike functions.

For the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), AoN was accorded for the procurement of Electro-Optical/Infra-Red systems for Dornier aircraft. 

Existing Rafale Fleet And Naval Variant

The Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale aircraft across two squadrons. The last delivery of the 'C' variant took place in December 2024.

Separately, India has ordered 26 Rafale 'M' variant aircraft for the Indian Navy in a deal valued at Rs 63,000 crore. These naval aircraft will operate from the aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.

That agreement includes provisions for fleet maintenance, logistics support and personnel training under a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) arrangement.