IAF To Seek Quick Rafale Deal With France As Squadron Numbers Dip

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is pressing for a government-to-government (G2G) deal with France to acquire additional Rafale fighters to address its fast-depleting squadron strength, The Times of India has said in a report.

This comes as the IAF’s long-pending 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) project, under which most jets would be built in India with foreign collaboration, awaits Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approval.

The urgency follows Operation Sindoor from May 7 to 10, during which Rafales were extensively used for long-range strikes against Pakistan.

While India has not confirmed any losses, it has rejected Pakistan’s claim that it shot down six IAF jets, including three Rafales, using Chinese-origin J-10s armed with PL-15 missiles.

With the retirement of the MiG-21 fleet next month, the IAF’s strength will fall to 29 fighter squadrons, well below the sanctioned 42.5.

The service has also projected the requirement for two to three squadrons of fifth-generation fighters. Russia’s Su-57 and the US F-35 would be the only options on the table, given the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will not be ready for years to come.

IAF sources say a direct deal with France would be faster and more economical than a global tender, leveraging existing infrastructure at Ambala and Hasimara to base at least one more Rafale squadron each. The Navy is also set to get 26 Rafale-Marine jets for INS Vikrant from 2028 to 2030 under a seven-billion-euro contract signed in April.

The IAF will now seek Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) from the DAC for the additional Rafales under the G2G route.