India eyes 40 more Rafale jets amid shifting defence ties
India plans to purchase 40 additional Rafale jets to strengthen its air force. We present the background of the Indo-French cooperation and the performance of these aircraft.
As reported by the portal BharatShakti, India is preparing to purchase 40 additional Rafale fighters from France under an intergovernmental agreement. This process is expected to run parallel to the contract for 26 naval variants of the Rafale-M, which is to be signed at the end of April 2025 during the visit of the French Defence Minister.
Discussions between India and France regarding Rafale jets under the MRFA-plus programme also include engines for the Indian helicopter programme. It is worth noting that in recent years, India has been moving away from purchasing weapons from Russia in favour of mainly France and Israel. This is expected to continue due to the decline of Russia's position in international arms trade and regional competition between India, China, and Pakistan.
Indian air force — demand for aircraft drastically exceeds supply
The Indian Air Force, which currently operates with 31 squadrons instead of the approved 42, reports the need to accelerate the acquisition of more fighters. This year, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh emphasised the necessity to introduce 35-40 new fighters annually to compensate for the retirement of older aircraft.
Currently, the Indian Air Force (Bhartiya Vāyu Senā) mainly uses heavily modified Su-30 MKI versions (over 200 aircraft) and 36 Rafale jets. However, the rest of the fleet consists of older Mirage 2000s, carrier-based MiG-29K and very outdated MiG-21 and SEPECAT Jaguar. Meanwhile, the delivery of their successor in the form of the locally designed HAL Tejas aircraft has been repeatedly delayed, with only four units delivered in 2024. This makes it necessary for India to fill the gap with imported aircraft.
Rafale — a battle-proven machine from Europe
Rafale is a multi-role aircraft tested in combat in Syria, Libya, and Mali, which has also been well-received by Indian air force pilots. Therefore, the desire to acquire more aircraft that would also be 95% compatible with the navy's jets is not surprising.
Rafale features excellent manoeuvrability and a suite of advanced sensors, including an IRST system and a modern radar with AESA (active electronically scanned array) technology. Additionally, it can carry over 9,000 kilograms of armaments on 14 or 13 pylons (the naval version has one less).
The arsenal includes advanced long-range air-to-air missiles Meteor, short/medium-range air-to-air missiles MICA (with radar RF or imaging infrared seeker IIR guidance), anti-ship AM 39 Exocet, Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles, guided AASM Hammer bombs, and ASMP-A with a thermonuclear warhead. However, the last option is reserved exclusively for France.
This is a highly effective arsenal that drastically increases capabilities even though it is not a stealth aircraft. For instance, AASM Hammer bombs allow for attacking targets from distances of up to 14 kilometres even when dropped from low altitude, or the MBDA Meteor air-to-air missiles with ranges that can reach up to 200 kilometres.
