The Indian Air Force (IAF) is strongly advocating for a government-to-government (G2G) deal with France to procure an additional 114 Rafale fighter jets as part of its long-delayed Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) project.
This MRFA project, pending for about seven to eight years and initially estimated to cost over ₹1.2 lakh crore, aims to equip the IAF with modern multi-role fighters capable of performing various combat and reconnaissance roles. Most of these jets are expected to be manufactured domestically under a foreign collaboration, aligning with India’s “Make in India” initiative.
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The urgency for this move from the IAF follows the recent military conflict with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, where the Rafale jets played a pivotal role in long-range strikes. While India has dismissed Pakistani claims of shooting down Rafales during the operation, the IAF is facing a depletion in the number of operational fighter squadrons.
Currently, the IAF has 31 squadrons but this number is poised to reduce to a record low of 29 following the retirement of the MiG-21 aircraft next month. This is significantly below the authorised strength of 42.5 squadrons, needed to counter the dual threat from China and Pakistan, with China expected to supply Pakistan with at least 40 fifth-generation J-35A stealth fighters.
The IAF’s preference for a direct deal with France instead of an open global tender is based on practical considerations. They argue it would make much better economic and logistical sense to procure more Rafales this way, given the existing infrastructure and storage at bases like Ambala and Hasimara, which already house Rafale squadrons.
A direct G2G deal is expected to be faster compared to a prolonged global tender process, allowing quicker strengthening of the air force’s depleted inventory. Additionally, the Indian Navy is slated to receive 26 Rafale-M jets for carrier operations by 2028-2030, so acquiring more Rafales would bring commonality in platforms and logistics across services.
Alongside this, the IAF has also projected a need for two to three squadrons of fifth-generation fighters, considering aircraft like Russia’s Sukhoi-57 and the US F-35 as contenders until India’s indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) becomes operational by 2035. However, no official negotiations have started with either Russia or the US.
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Direct Deal Preferred By IAF
The Indian Air Force (IAF) prefers a direct government-to-government (G2G) deal with France for procuring more Rafale jets over the traditional MRFA tender process for several key reasons:
Faster Conclusion: The direct deal can be negotiated and finalized much faster than an open global tender, which is typically prolonged and complex. Given the urgent operational need due to depleted squadron strength, speed is a critical factor.
Economic And Logistical Sense: The IAF argues that acquiring additional Rafales through a direct deal makes better economic and logistical sense. Since the IAF already operates Rafale jets procured earlier via a similar inter-governmental agreement, it benefits from existing infrastructure, training, and maintenance setups at bases like Ambala and Hasimara. This commonality reduces costs and simplifies logistics.
Operational Urgency: The IAF’s fighter squadron strength is at a historic low (going down to 29 from an authorized 42.5 squadrons), compounded by heightened threats from China and Pakistan. The successful operational use of Rafales during recent conflicts like Operation Sindoor further underscored the urgent need to replenish and bolster squadron strength quickly.
Strategic Continuity: Expanding the Rafale fleet aligns with the Indian Navy’s plans to operate Rafale-M jets from the INS Vikrant carrier, which supports platform commonality and interoperability advantages across the services.
Avoiding Delays of MRFA Tender: The MRFA tender has been pending for almost eight years with significant delays and uncertainties. A direct G2G deal bypasses drawn-out tender processes that could further stall capability enhancement.
Summary
The IAF is pushing for an expedited government-to-government procurement of 114 Rafales to address both immediate operational requirements exposed by recent conflicts and long-term strategic needs, bypassing the protracted MRFA tender process.
This approach also fits in with broader defence modernisation plans mapped out by a high-level committee focused on accelerated capability enhancement with increased private sector involvement alongside DRDO and public sector units.
IDN (With Agency Inputs)
Agency
