India Set to Formalise Request for 114 Rafale Jets Soon; 90 to Be Made in India
मुख्य बातें
- •India to send Letter of Request (LoR) to France within weeks for 114 Rafale jets for IAF
- •jets to be manufactured in India with nearly 50% indigenous content; rest in fly-away condition
- •LoR process involves DAC approval, followed by negotiations and CCS clearance before final contract
- •Rafale acquisition aims to address IAF’s squadron shortfall of 13 jets and support interim capability until AMCA’s induction post-2035
New Delhi, May 25, 2026: India is preparing to send a formal Letter of Request (LoR) to France within the next few weeks for the procurement of 114 Rafale multirole fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), as confirmed by senior defence officials. The LoR, which outlines the required capabilities, quantities, and technical specifications, will be dispatched under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) route. Once France responds with details on pricing, availability, and logistical support, India will formalise the Request for Proposal (RFP) for acquisition.
The proposed deal includes around 90 jets to be manufactured in India through a collaboration between French manufacturer Dassault Aviation and an Indian partner, while the remaining aircraft will be delivered in fly-away condition. The indigenous content of these jets is expected to be nearly 50%, a significant step toward enhancing India’s defence manufacturing capabilities. While full access to the source code remains unlikely, India has been negotiating for the Interface Control Documents (ICD), which will enable integration of indigenous weapons such as the Astra air-to-air missile and BrahMos-NG supersonic cruise missile. The ICD provides the technical framework for how an aircraft’s onboard systems communicate with external weapons, sensors, and equipment.
