PM Modi in France
Likely Contours of the Rafale Deal
By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)
New Delhi/ Paris. Prime Minister Naremdra Modi has just been in France for a multi-city State visit focused on technology, innovation, and strategic bilateral relations. Rafale and other military systems have been part of the Summit and delegation level talks.
France openly backs ‘Make in India’ in defence, based on equal partnership. They have signalled new model for Rafale deal ahead of PM Modi’s visit. The Rafale would be a mega ₹3.25 lakh crore ($39 billion) deal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets. Earlier, the Indian Defence Ministry issued a formal Letter of Request (LoR) to the French government.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meet on 12 February and gave nod to 114 additional Rafale jets. Also the DAC granting Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), the project moved to the crucial stage of issuing the Request for Proposal (RFP), followed by technical evaluation, field trials (if necessary), and commercial negotiations. For major acquisitions, final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is required before the contract is signed.
Under the current proposal, roughly 90 to 96 aircraft will be manufactured in India through a joint partnership between Dassault Aviation and an Indian private sector company. The remaining aircraft (likely around 18 to 24 jets) will be supplied directly from France in a flyaway condition to meet immediate operational requirements. France is expected to reply with detailed pricing, logistics, and production timelines within 2 to 3 months, after which formal price negotiations will begin.
Indian Air Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh recently concluded a visit to France where his delegation held high-level discussions with senior officials from Dassault Aviation and MBDA (missile suppliers). The Chief toured the French manufacturing facilities to understand and assess the technical cooperation and production capacities involved in the project.
Discussions also centred on Transfer of Technology and integrating indigenous Indian weapons and avionics systems without compromising protected proprietary software.
IAF has planned new inductions aimed at arresting the steady decline in its fighter squadron strength.
The Fighter Aircraft Urgency
As of date, the IAF fields only 29 fighter aircraft squadrons against an authorised strength of 42.5, a gap aggravated by delays in indigenous programsme, and IAF thus needs more and more additional fighter aircraft.
How is big question?
IAF’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme, that is for the Rafales, is meant to acquire 114 advanced fighter jets to replace aging fleets and bolster squadron strength.
There were eight contenders who responded to the RFI (Request for Information) that was formally sent out in April 2018. Valued around $20–$39 billion, the deal focuses on indigenous manufacturing. The programme aims to address severe operational gaps.
Any detailed selection process requires time. Rafale has been tried and tested in various exercises and more recently on “Op Sindoor.” Rafale would retain continuity, and avoid adding another fleet. A Government-to-Government (G2G) deal could be signed quickly as the price identification already exists. The 114 when added to 26 Rafale-Marine (M) of the Indian Navy would make a viable figure for Make-in-India and to set up a full assembly line.
There is already a project to make Rafale fuselage in India. France’s Safran is establishing a dedicated facility in Hyderabad, India, for the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) of the M88 engines used in the Rafale fighter jets. India’s future fighter fleet will not only be a military asset but as a central pillar of countries operational capabilities and national strategy.
Meanwhile, the US has cleared a $686-million upgrade package for Pakistani F-16 fighter jets that will also extend the life of Pakistani F-16 fleet till 2040. And China already has nearly 400 J-20 fifth-generation fighters. Pakistan is operating J-10C fighters armed with PL-15 Long-Range Beyond-Visual-Range (LR-BVR) missiles. PAF has sought to acquire the Chinese J-35 fifth-generation aircraft, which could induct as early as 2027.
With China and Pakistan working in collusion, and by adding and modernising their fighter fleets, regional military balances have undergone significant transformation.
India needs to act on many count, and make up for the long delays.
Broad Outline
In April 2025, through an additional Inter-Governmental Agreement )IGA), the contract for 26 Rafale-Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy costing ₹63,887 crore (approximately $7.6 billion) was signed. The Rafale-M has 95 percent commonality with IAF fighters, and thus very high degree of interoperability.
India’s Rafale deal will include 88 single-seat and 26 twin-seat variants. Indian industry will gain significantly in technology and expertise while manufactured them domestically, and it stands to reason, that the Indian production line will produce a substantially higher number of jets than the 114 being contracted.
ToT will boost India’s defence manufacturing under the Make-in-India initiative with up to 60 per cent, or gradually more, indigenous content. The jets will likely be assembled at a final assembly line expected to be established in Nagpur.
IAF’s current Rafales are F3R standard. 90 of the new aircraft will be Rafale F4 multirole fighters. The remaining 24 should be the next-generation Rafale F5 variants.
The deal will include SCALP and advanced variants of Meteor missiles.
IAF’s Existing Rafale – F3R Standard
The Rafale is considered a 4.5-generation fighter. It has forward hemisphere stealth, and super-cruise capability.
IAF Rafale aircraft are highly customised with some India-specific modifications. Essentially, they are of F3-plus standard.
India initially acquired the 36 Rafale, F3R variants, through a €7.87 billion deal (approximately $8.5 billion) signed in 2016. It was a G2G contract prioritising speed, and political assurance.
The platform combined air superiority, deep-strike, nuclear delivery, and electronic warfare roles. The aircraft had significant India-specific enhancements, and the deal included infrastructure for two full operational airbases.
During Op Sindoor, Rafale’s survivability and the integration of long-range stand-off munitions, electronic attack, and real-time data fusion were well demonstrated, and appreciated.
The India-specific Enhancements include Israeli helmet-mounted displays, integration of Spice-1000 glide bombs, advanced jammers, cold-start capability for high-altitude bases (like Leh), Indian satellite communications, and integration with indigenous weapons like Astra missiles, among others.
The F3R standard became operational around 2019. It serves as a bridge to the next-generation Rafale F4 standard, which adds advanced connectivity and further capabilities.
Rafale F4
Development of the F4 standard began in 2019. The standard improved on-board processing, external connectivity, and upgrade of the Thales Spectra self-defence system.
The radar and sensor upgrades facilitate the detection of airborne stealth targets at long range. With improved communications equipment, it is also more effective in network-centric warfare. Flight tests began in 2021 and the first F4-standard aircraft was delivered in 2023.
The French Air and Space Force (FASF) aircraft are being upgraded to this standard.
UAE is the first foreign customer of F4. The UAE’s deal to acquire 80 Dassault Rafale F4 fighter jets from France was for $19 billion finalized in December 2021.
F4 will give enhanced survivability, and sensor-fusion based dominance in highly contested environments. The Indian proposal envisages Rafale F4 aircraft deliveries beginning around 2029. And then the Rafale F4 will continue to see planned upgrades till 2035, to extend both capability and relevance.
Rafale F5
Dassault and its partners are already working on the F5 standard that will be ready by around 2030. The upgrade will be incremental. F5 will share some features with the next-generation European aircraft.
The F5 standard will have new sensors, armaments, and faster and more secure ability to communicate and collaborate.
The aircraft will have a much better electronic-warfare suite, with advanced capability for Suppression or Destruction of Enemy Defences (SEAD/DEAD), using latest jamming systems and anti-radiation weapons. It will be further evolution of the existing SPECTRA EW and jamming system and will also create a “defensive bubble” around the aircraft.
F5 will also introduce fibre-optic cabling. All this will greatly improve penetration in a contested environment. The Rafale F5 will also act as a sensor-truck with data fusion and processing abilities that allows it a tactical flying command post role. The F5 is envisioned to bridge the 5th and 6th generation capabilities.
The F5 will also be modified to carry the Anglo-French Future Cruise Missile (FCM) and Future Anti-Ship Missile (FASM). The T-REX engine will deliver nearly 20 percent greater thrust than the current M88-2.
It will be a “Super Rafale” that will also be modified further to carry hypersonic, nuclear capable, guided missiles. Dassault calls it as an Air Combat System within a system, rather than just a fighter jet, like the current Rafale F4 variant is.
F5 deliveries initially were planned to start in 2029 but discussions are underway to deliver them starting in 2027.
France continues to see a market for Rafale F5 for those unable to, or not wanting to, acquire the F-35 for geo-political reasons.
Notably, the Rafale is distinct from other European fighters because it is almost entirely built by one country with Dassault (airframe), Thales (avionics and EW) and Safran (aero-engine) covering all the major systems. Rafale also has a carrier-based maritime variant.
Indications are French officials have considered equipping the Rafale to launch small satellites.
The likely India deal envisages 24 Rafale F5 with deliveries from around 2030. The F4 aircraft may also be upgraded later. The Rafale would become a cornerstone of India’s Operational credibility and deterrence.
The Rafale is planned to be the FASF’s primary combat aircraft until at least 2040.
Make in India Aero-Engine with France
French aerospace company Safran and India’s DRDO have joined to develop India’s first jet engine with Indian intellectual property rights (IPR), and with this, Safran will transfer 100 percent technology transfer to DRDO, including that for crystal blades. The joint project between Safran and India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a DRDO lab, will develop and produce 120 Kilo Newton (kN) engine which will power India’s Advance Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
Later engine variants will have up to 140 KN thrust.
Rafale’s Current Production Rate
In October 2025, Dassault hailed production of 300th Rafale. As of late 2025, there have been 533 firm orders for the Rafale, with France and export customers including India, Egypt, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, UAE, Serbia, and Indonesia. Of these, nearly 210 are still to be delivered.
Till a year back the Rafale production rate was 2 aircraft a month (24 a year). The same has now been increased to 3 per month (36 per year), with a plan to increase to 4 per month (48 a year) to handle a growing backlog of orders.
This is a significant increase from previous years and is supported by expansion at the Mérignac factory and new facilities in Cergy-Pontoise.
Dassault has plans to make the Rafale fuselage in India.
With increased Indian orders, a full assembly line will be created in India. Making in India would also be cheaper. Dassault could thus source and supply India-made Rafale jets for global customers. Such a plant would also increase India-France options for future aircraft.
To Summarise
India is prioritizing domestic manufacturing to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. India’s capability to make global-class aero-structures has been proven with cabins of Apache AH-64, Sikorsky S-92 helicopter and Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. Made in India F4 and F5 will be help learning for India’s AMCA program which too will be imbibing sixth-generation technologies.
India already makes the Lockheed Martin F-16 wings, and its own indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
Making the fuselage and other components in India will be a big step forward.
Dassault Aviation has already partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to manufacture the Rafale fuselage sections in Hyderabad, with a targeted production of up to 24 airframes annually. French engine manufacturer Safran is building the M88 engine MRO for global support.
Dassault Aviation has also established an MRO facility near Noida, Uttar Pradesh, for the Indian Air Force’s Rafale and Mirage 2000 fleets. These will substantially reduce lifecycle costs, improve tarmac availability, and secure supply chain complexities.
Traditionally India and France have been enjoying an exceptionally warm relationship, which is the fruit of deep affinities and the unwavering trust between the two countries since India’s Independence.
France is rightly considered as The Most Reliable Western Friend.
