India finalizes $7.41 billion Rafale jet deal with France

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Apr 2025 19:44

Under the terms of the deal, India will acquire 22 single-seat Rafale M fighters and four twin-seat trainer variants, with full delivery expected between late 2029 and 2031.

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India and France signed a mega Rs 63,000 crore deal to buy 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy. (Indian Navy Officials)

Indian authorities on Monday announced the finalization of a $7.41 billion agreement with France for the purchase of 26 Rafale fighter jets. The decision, approved earlier this month by New Delhi's Cabinet Committee on Security, comes against the backdrop of rising tensions with neighboring Pakistan. The contract was formally signed in New Delhi by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vice Admiral K. Swaminathan, Vice Chief of the Navy, with the French Ambassador to India present at the ceremony.

Under the terms of the deal, India will acquire 22 single-seat Rafale M fighters and four twin-seat trainer variants, with full delivery expected between late 2029 and 2031. Officials detailed that the agreement also encompasses fleet maintenance, logistical support, personnel training, and commitments to local manufacturing of components, supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Make-in-India) strategy. The deal includes offset obligations that require Dassault Aviation and its partners to invest a percentage of the contract value back into India's defense and aerospace industries.

Built by French defense firm Dassault Aviation, the Rafale M is a carrier-capable multirole fighter jet equipped with reinforced landing gear, folding wings, and specialized avionics for naval operations. The Rafales are being temporarily imported to address the Indian Navy's immediate operational needs, replacing the aging fleet of Russian-origin MiG-29K fighters. Reports indicate the Rafales will serve as an interim measure until India's domestically developed Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) becomes operational.

Naval strengthening

The agreement follows a series of military activities, including a live-fire exercise by the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea on Sunday, held amid heightened tensions with Pakistan. Ties between the two countries have worsened since a terrorist attack on April 22 in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 people dead.

According to NDTV, "the drills featured several destroyers and frigates which fired BrahMos anti-ship and anti-surface cruise missiles." Additionally, the Indian Navy last week shared a brief video showing its "latest indigenous guided missile destroyer INS Surat" successfully striking a sea-skimming target.

Officials stated that the newly acquired Rafales will be stationed aboard India's aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, significantly bolstering India's maritime power projection in the Indian Ocean region. The introduction of these jets is expected to strengthen India's deterrence capabilities and enhance its ability to respond swiftly to regional threats.

Earlier this year, in March, the Indian government approved its largest defense acquisition to date, an order for 156 Light Combat Helicopters along with associated training and equipment, valued at over 620 billion rupees ($7.3 billion), in another major move authorized by the Cabinet Committee on Security.