India Signs $7.41 Billion Deal with France for 26 Rafale Fighter Jets
In a major boost to its naval capabilities, India has signed a deal with France to purchase 26 Rafale fighter aircraft worth 630 billion rupees ($7.41 billion), an official from the Indian defence ministry confirmed to Reuters. The agreement, approved earlier this month by India’s security cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to strengthen the Indian Navy, whose fleet currently relies largely on Russian-origin MiG-29 jets.
The new deal comes at a time when India is actively working to modernize its military forces, reduce dependence on Russian-made equipment, and ramp up domestic weapons production to better equip forces stationed along its sensitive borders with China and Pakistan. The Indian Navy has increasingly expressed concern over China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean, highlighted by Beijing’s dual-purpose vessels in the region and its military base in Djibouti established in 2017.
This purchase further extends India’s deep-rooted defence ties with France, which date back decades. India’s military already operates 36 Rafale jets with the Air Force and previously acquired Mirage 2000 fighters in the 1980s, as well as Scorpene-class submarines under a 2005 agreement. The latest Rafale acquisition reinforces the strategic partnership between New Delhi and Paris amid evolving regional security challenges.
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