The primacy of air power in future military operations has once again been re-established in the Ukraine conflict, West Asian showdowns, and most recently during Op Sindoor.
Indian Air Force (IAF) is down to 29 fighter aircraft squadrons vis-à-vis the authorised 42.5. The last MiG-21 “Bison” squadron is being decommissioned this September.
The LCA Mk1A is still mired by delays and will enter IAF service only later this year, well behind schedule. The Indian government has recognised the need to acquire foreign fighters once again.
Rather harsh tariffs by the Trump administration have made India see the USA as highly unreliable. India already has a huge aircraft fleet of Russian origin. Despite Russia’s offer of full Transfer of Technology (ToT) for fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon”, India should push its own AMCA with full national backing.
Rafale was one of the leading platforms used in Op Sindoor. A sequence of events has pushed India back to its time-tested friend, France, which stood by India even when some others were applying sanctions over the last few decades.
France – India’s Time-Tested Strategic Partner
Paris and New Delhi have had warm and business-friendly relations from the very beginning. France supported India during the Cold War and has also tacitly supported India as a nuclear power.
India and France signed a strategic partnership in January 1998. Clearly, one of the most enduring solid pillars of the Indo-French relationship since the early fifties has been that of military aviation. IAF inducted over 100 each of French Dassault Ouragans (Indian name Toofani), and Dassault Mystere IVA in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Indian Navy got the Breguet Alize, a carrier-based anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The Aerospatiale Alouette III, a single-engine, French light utility helicopter, was manufactured under license by HAL in large numbers.
IAF purchased the British-led, Anglo-French Jaguar Deep Penetration Strike Aircraft (DPSA) in the late seventies. IAF later bought Mirage 2000s in the 1980s.
Mirage 2000 performed exceedingly well in the 1999 Kargil conflict. The aircraft was later upgraded to the Mirage 2000-5 Mk 2 standards and had improved avionics, a glass cockpit, and smarter weapons.
Mirage-2000 was the platform of choice for the Balakot Strike in 2019, where it hit targets with the Spice-2000 precision glide bombs. This was followed by the induction of 36 Dassault Rafale.
The Indian Rafale Aircraft Contracts
India’s journey with the Rafale aircraft began in 2016 when the government signed a deal with France to purchase 36 jets, for around Rs 59,000 crore (€7.8 billion), aimed at strengthening the country’s defence and enhancing the capabilities of the IAF. All 36 were inducted by mid-2022.
India signed a Rs 63,000 crore deal with France in April 2025 for 26 Rafale-Marine jets. These jets can operate from aircraft carriers and are built for naval missions.
The deal includes training, weapons, simulators, and long-term support. Rafale-Ms will be deployed on INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. Rafale-M strengthens India’s naval power until its own fighter jet is ready.
Aircraft will have reinforced landing gear and a tail hook to enable safe take-offs and landings on aircraft carriers. These will be equipped with the Thales RBE2 AESA radar and SPECTRA electronic warfare suite for enhanced situational awareness and survivability.
It will carry a variety of weapons, including air-to-air missiles (MICA, Meteor), air-to-ground missiles (SCALP-EG), and anti-ship missiles (Exocet AM39).
The deal includes provisions for technology transfer and the establishment of maintenance and production facilities in India. This initiative is expected to create thousands of jobs and promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
Make In India Rafale Fuselage
Under a recent agreement in June 2025, France’s Dassault Aviation and India’s Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) will partner to manufacture the Rafale fighter jet’s fuselage in Hyderabad, India.
This initiative, a significant step for the “Make in India” program. Plans are to establish a new TASL facility to produce key fuselage sections, starting in fiscal year 2028. It will involve producing key structural sections of the Rafale aircraft, including the front, central, and rear fuselage, as well as the lateral rear shells.
The facility will have the capacity to produce up to two complete fuselages per month. The project marks the first time Rafale fuselages will be built outside of France, with the goal of supplying both Indian and global markets and bolstering India’s defence manufacturing capabilities.
This project significantly advances India’s domestic defence production by moving the country from a buyer to a builder of critical components. It strengthens India’s strategic autonomy by increasing its role in the global defence supply chain and bolstering its airpower.
The initiative is expected to create skilled jobs, develop new aerospace infrastructure, and contribute to India’s growing aerospace and defence ecosystem. For Dassault Aviation, it represents a step in diversifying its production and building redundancy in its supply chain.
Safran Aero-Engine For AMCA
Ever since India’s home-grown GTRE “Kaveri” engine got de-linked from the LCA program, India has been looking at alternative sources for aero-engines. While the GE F404 is powering the LCA Mk1 variants, the GE F414 will power the LCA Mk2.
Meanwhile, India has been keen to have its own aero-engine with full intellectual property rights (IPR). It has been ready to partner with any foreign major aero-engine company. Offers for such arrangements were evolving with Safran, Rolls-Royce of the UK, and GE.
In July 2023, the French government reportedly gave a nod to Safran to jointly design, develop, test, manufacture, and certify an engine with India that will power twin-engine advanced multi-role combat aircraft (AMCA) and the twin-engine deck-based fighter for Indian aircraft carriers.
Safran proposes to develop the AMCA engine by enhancing its proven M88 engine. Safran will enhance the M88’s core technology, which produces 50 kN dry and 75 kN with afterburner, to achieve a higher thrust output of approximately 75–80 kN dry and 110–120 kN with afterburner.
Because it leverages proven technology, the engine’s development timeframe can be aligned with the AMCA’s development timeline, with prototypes expected by 2026–27 and first flights by 2028.
Safran’s offer includes full ToT, covering critical technologies like single-crystal blades, thermal barrier coatings, and advanced combustors, ensuring India gains indigenous manufacturing and design capabilities.
This enhanced engine will incorporate new components, such as an improved compressor and afterburner, to meet the AMCA’s performance needs, including super-cruise capability. In addition, the offer includes Safran setting up a centre of excellence in gas turbine technology in India with full design and metallurgical precision software tools.
India has decided to join hands with France under a government-to-government (G2G) deal to jointly design and manufacture a new 120 KN engine for the AMCA.
Safran has actually pitched for the creation of an entire ecosystem for the manufacture of multiple types of aircraft engines in India. Incidentally, Safran is also setting up a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility for the Rafale’s M88 engine in Hyderabad. This site will be the first one to maintain M88 modules outside France.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has already been making the Turbomeca (a Safran company) supported ‘Shakti’ helicopter engine. Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL are now set to form a joint venture (JV) for developing an indigenous aero-engine for the Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH), which will be built in large numbers in the near future.
Rafale Upgrades
IAF Rafale aircraft are highly customised with some India-specific modifications. Essentially, they are of F3-plus standard. The F3R standard was validated in 2018 and is currently in place on the French Rafale.
The French have begun inducting aircraft with the F4 standard. The F5 standard is evolving and is expected to be ready by 2027.
The French Air and Space Force (FASF) aircraft are being upgraded to F4 standard with improved on-board processing, external connectivity, new air-to-air missiles, upgraded radar, secure and faster network connectivity, and an improved electronic warfare suite. The Rafale is planned to be the FASF’s primary combat aircraft until at least 2040.
Dassault and its partners are already working on the “Super Rafale” F5 standard. It will have advanced radar, other new sensors, armaments, and enhanced communication and collaboration capabilities.
It is planned to carry hypersonic nuclear-guided missiles. F5 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 allow it a tactical flying command post role. F5 is planned to integrate with the European nEUROn combat drone and the loyal wingman concept. F5 deliveries could begin by 2027.
More Rafales For IAF
IAF’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) has been under active discussion since 2018. However, the tender has still to be issued.
Alongside the Rafale, other contenders for MRFA remain the Lockheed Martin F-21 (a variant of the F-16V), Saab Gripen E/F, Boeing F-15EX, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Russia’s MiG-35 and Su-35.
After Trump tariffs and a drop in trust, American fighter aircraft are less likely to be contracted. India’s Russian basket is already full. Also, the Russians are keen to sell the fifth-generation Su-57.
For some time now, IAF has been seeking 114 Rafale jets in a direct deal with France, bypassing the MRFA tender. India is getting poised to move forward with a G2G proposal for Rafale jets.
The IAF plans to submit the case for “Acceptance of Necessity” (AoN), an early but essential step in India’s defence procurement process, to the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) by October 2025. A final government decision is expected thereafter.
The IAF argues that a direct G2G purchase would be more economical and logistically viable than an open global tender. With 36 Rafale already in service, Ambala and Hasimara air bases are fully equipped to host at least one additional squadron each.
Also, India has paid a significant amount for one-time enhancements specific to India. Acquiring Rafale also balances out the large Russian fleet, and India does not face geopolitical risks linked to American fleets.
India must request access to the Rafale’s source code to integrate indigenous weapons systems, even if it means giving sovereign guarantees to protect French proprietary technology. Alternatively, the exercise could be done jointly.
Future Combat Air System
The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is a tri-national (France, Germany, and Spain) fifth-generation-plus aircraft project that is a continuation of an earlier project with a similar name between the UK and France.
Dassault Aviation, Airbus (Germany), and Indra Sistemas (Spain) are the co-developers.
The FCAS will consist of a Next-Generation Weapon System (NGWS) as well as other air assets in the future operational battle-space. The aircraft will also act as the remote carrier-cum-controller vehicle for swarming drones.
Dassault will be the prime contractor for the Next Generation Fighter (NGF). Airbus will lead the development of accompanying remote carrier vehicles and cloud communications. Safran Aircraft Engines will evolve the aero-engine and its integration, along with MTU Aero Engines. Thales and MBDA will undertake significant developmental work.
FCAS will have an aircraft carrier operations capability. It will follow the system-of-systems approach. Initial work began in 2017. In June 2023, Belgium became an observer and may join the program by late 2025.
FCAS is meant to replace the French Rafale, Germany’s Typhoons, and Spain’s EF-18 Hornets around 2040. The demonstrator test flight is expected around 2027. The delay in the program has now been openly acknowledged.
The French lawmakers have aired concerns about the serious delays in the FCAS project, which was to be the successor of Rafale. The FCAS is now predicted to enter service not earlier than 2045 or 2050.
The French defence procurement agency has notified Dassault Aviation and its major equipment suppliers Thales, Safran, and MBDA of the contract for the fifth round of Rafale production.
The FCAS is supposed to be a fifth-generation-plus aircraft. It is funded by some of the major financial and technologically advanced European countries, even though they have faced hurdles in proceeding forward. Also, the FCAS could cost two to three times as much as a Rafale.
India has a fifth-generation aircraft program, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), which has already been divided into two phases: partially stealth and stealth. India should wait and watch and not be in a hurry to partner in FCAS.
To Summarise
All deals with the Soviet Union and Russia in the past were G2G. Also, with Americans (P-8I, C-17, C-130, Apache, Chinook, and others) and the French (Rafale) were G2G.
G2G deals save time, and price discovery is built in. A G2G approach would still be the best for the selected fighter, for both cost and time savings. An early decision is operationally most critical.
The Horizon 2047 document for the India-France Strategic Partnership has spelled out many core partnership areas. Development of a self-reliant defence industrial technological base with special emphasis on aeronautics is of high priority.
IAF desperately needs fighter aircraft to address simultaneous threats from Pakistan and China. While India must push LCA design, development, and production, it has, in the interim, to import foreign aircraft.
The decision on 114 MRFA cannot be delayed any further. The MRFA initiative comes amid reports that China may supply Pakistan with at least 40 J-35A stealth fighters.
G2G Rafale is the best way forward. If concluded, the Rafale order would set a new export record for Dassault Aviation and provide a significant boost to India’s combat capability, while reinforcing its defence and industrial partnership with France.
India has ruled out buying Lockheed Martin’s F-35A amid an ongoing trade dispute with the US. The IAF is, however, exploring potential co-production of 50 to 60 Su-57E fighters with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), with discussions expected during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi in September 2025.
Exciting times ahead for Indo-French military aviation. Connection is only set to deepen.
- Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retired) is an Indian Air Force veteran, fighter test pilot, and ex-director-general of the Center for Air Power Studies in New Delhi. He has been decorated with gallantry and distinguished service medals during his 40-year tenure in the IAF.
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