New Delhi: India is expected to receive France’s official response to its Letter of Request (LoR) for the proposed government-to-government deal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets by mid-August, according to a report by news agency ANI.
French officials have sought time until mid-August to submit their response to the LoR that India had sent in May this year, defence officials told ANI.
The officials said that once France submits its response, the two sides will begin negotiations on pricing and other key aspects of the proposed deal.
Why the 114 Rafale deal is important for the Indian Air Force
India had issued the Letter of Request to France in May for the proposed acquisition of 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force under a government-to-government arrangement.
Under the proposal, 94 of the 114 Rafale aircraft will be manufactured in India by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation in partnership with an Indian company.
The aircraft are considered crucial for the Indian Air Force as its squadron strength continues to decline due to the phased retirement of ageing aircraft, including variants of the Russian-origin MiG fighter jets, as well as delays in the induction of indigenous platforms such as the LCA Mark 1A and LCA Mark 2.
The Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy have already placed orders for a total of 62 Rafale aircraft. If the proposed order for 114 jets goes through, the total number of Rafales in India’s inventory will rise to 176.
The Indian Navy has also expressed its intention to procure 31 more Rafale aircraft to strengthen its maritime capabilities, which could take the total number of Rafale jets in India to more than 200.
The Defence Ministry carried out a major study under Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to strengthen the Indian Air Force’s capabilities soon after he assumed office in 2024. Since then, the ministry has been working towards enhancing the force’s operational capabilities.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had approved the Indian Air Force’s proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets more than four months ago.
