SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally requested 40 additional Rafale fighter jets through a government-to-government (G2G) deal with France’s Dassault Aviation, according to a recent report by the Bharat Shakti portal. This acquisition would bolster the IAF’s existing fleet of 36 Rafale jets, inducted between September 2020 and 2022, bringing the total to 76 units.
However, this move, while addressing immediate operational needs, falls short of the IAF’s earlier demand for 126 Rafales and casts uncertainty over the long-delayed Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender for 110 jets. With the IAF also committed to procuring 97 more Tejas Mk1A jets and potentially up to 200 Tejas Mk2 units, the future of the MRFA tender and the IAF’s fighter fleet composition remain under scrutiny.
The IAF’s request for 40 Rafale jets, as reported by Bharat Shakti, aims to quickly enhance its combat capabilities amid a dwindling squadron strength of 31 against a sanctioned 42. The G2G route, which facilitated the 2016 deal for 36 Rafales at €7.87 billion ($8.56 billion), bypasses the lengthy tender process, ensuring faster delivery.
The IAF’s push for 40 more Rafales raises questions about the MRFA tender, which aims to procure 110 multi-role fighters under the “Buy Global – Make in India” framework. The tender, initiated with a Request for Information (RFI) in 2018, has seen little progress, despite interest from contenders like Dassault’s Rafale, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-21, and Eurofighter Typhoon. A recent report by The Print on April 10, 2025, suggested the IAF might opt for a G2G deal for 110 Rafale F4 jets, to be locally manufactured by Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) in Nagpur after Dassault takes 100% ownership of the joint venture. This would align with the “Make in India” initiative, with most components sourced locally, though concerns persist about DRAL becoming a mere assembly hub reliant on French kits.
However, idrw.org previously reported in 2024 that the IAF had requested 90 additional Rafales to reach the originally planned 126, a figure now scaled back with the proposed 40-jet deal. The uncertainty surrounding the MRFA tender, valued at over $20 billion, stems from its complex requirements for technology transfer and local production, which have deterred manufacturers like Dassault, who cite production constraints in France. Dassault produced only 13 Rafales in 2023 against a target of 15, and its order book, including exports to nations like Indonesia, may delay deliveries to India by a decade unless local production scales up significantly.
The IAF’s indigenous fighter plans further complicate the MRFA’s future. HAL is set to ink deal for 97 more Tejas Mk1A jets, following the 83 already ordered, with production capacity expanding to 24 jets annually by 2026 via lines in Bangalore and Nashik. Additionally, the IAF plans to procure 110 Tejas Mk2 jets, potentially increasing to 200 units, with the first flight scheduled for March 2026 and induction by 2028-29.
If the MoD approves the 40 Rafale jets, the IAF’s fleet will grow to 76 units, forming four squadrons—still short of the seven envisioned under the MMRCA. This could reduce the urgency for the MRFA tender, especially as the Tejas program ramps up. Logistically, standardizing on Rafales and Tejas could streamline maintenance, as the IAF currently manages a diverse fleet—Su-30 MKI, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, and Rafale—65% of which is of Russian origin. A shift toward a 40% Indian, 30% Western, and 30% Russian mix over the next 20 years would reduce dependency on Moscow, a concern post-Ukraine conflict.
NOTE: Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes. Websites doing illegal reproductions will get DMCA and Legal Notices.