February 13, 2026 at 12:01 PM
India clears the way for landmark deal to acquire French Rafale jets
“India sees a kindred spirit in France because France also has always talked about retaining strategic autonomy," one analyst said.
NEW DELHI — India has cleared a proposal to buy 114 Rafale multirole fighter jets from France to bolster its air force in its largest-ever military hardware procurement.The push to acquire the jets comes amid a critical shortfall in the combat capability of the Indian Air Force at a time when the country has witnessed heightened tensions with Pakistan and China.The Rafales were the biggest and most high profile acquisition to be cleared among nearly $40 billion worth of hardware that India plans to buy to modernize its military.The go-ahead by the Defence Acquisition Council headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Jan.12 comes days before French President Emmanuel Macron visits New Delhi and paves the way for commercial and technical details to be finalized.At a time when the geopolitical order is witnessing a significant churn, the Rafale deal will cement a strategic partnership between New Delhi and Paris once it is sealed. RELATEDThe push to acquire the French jets comes amid offers from the United States for its F-35 fighters and Russia for the Su-57E aircraft.“I think that in some ways the choice of the Rafales is a reflection of India’s foreign policy and strategic priorities as well. It underscores India’s decision to strengthen its strategic autonomy and move away from the Russia-U.S.-Israel binary,” according to Harsh Pant, the vice president of studies at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.
“If you look at the air force five or six years down the line, it would have a strong French component.”While Russia has traditionally been India’s largest weapons supplier, in recent decades New Delhi has diversified imports by buying hardware from France, the United States and Israel.India presently operates 36 Rafales which were inducted into the air force from 2020 onwards and have since been deployed to strategic air bases near the borders with Pakistan and China.“The procurement of MRFA (Multi role fighter aircraft) will enhance the capability of undertaking air dominance roles across the spectrum of conflict and significantly boost the deterrence capabilities of IAF (Indian Air Force) with long range offensive strikes,” the Indian Defence Ministry said in a statement.The Indian Air Force has been grappling with declining fighter jet numbers amid delays in programs to manufacture indigenous aircraft.