India to Order Additional Rafale Fighter Jets

India plans to purchase 40 additional Rafale fighter jets amid delays in selecting a new multirole aircraft for its Air Force, according to a report by Bharat Shakti.

The deal is expected to be signed on April 28–29, 2025, in parallel with a separate contract for India’s naval aviation needs.

The report states that negotiations held in early April indicate preparations for signing a second tranche of Rafale purchases, described as a “fast-track” MRFA-plus agreement.

India’s Air Force currently operates below the required strength of 41 squadrons, a level deemed necessary to counter the Chinese Air Force effectively.

Efforts to purchase new aircraft have faced delays, particularly in identifying a medium-class fighter jet with a high degree of local production and a competitive price.

Despite these challenges, India is in advanced discussions with France’s Dassault Aviation and Safran, deepening cooperation that could serve as an alternative to the MRFA program.

India already operates Rafale jets in two squadrons. The introduction of the carrier-based version is expected to streamline logistics between the air force and the navy and enhance weapons standardization.

Militarnyi previously reported that India and France had concluded negotiations for the purchase of 26 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Navy.

The deal, worth an estimated $7.6 billion, is expected to be signed in April 2025 during a visit by the French defense minister.

France and India are also expanding defense cooperation to include joint production, maintenance, and support.

With increased demand for French weaponry, India has emerged as a key importer, and France is looking to further involve Indian industry in its defense manufacturing and development.

Rafale in India

In April 2015, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to France, India announced a direct purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets within an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to meet urgent operational requirements.

The contract, signed on September 23, 2016, was valued at €7.87 billion. The first five aircraft were delivered on July 29, 2020, and officially inducted in September that year.

By July 2021, India had received 26 aircraft, with the remainder delivered by the end of 2022, except for one jet retained in France for testing of India-Specific Enhancements (ISE).