India has finalized a $7.41 billion agreement with France to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets for its navy, a senior official from the Indian Defence Ministry confirmed to Reuters on Monday.
The acquisition, valued at 630 billion rupees, received approval earlier this month from India’s security cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Reuters.
Currently, the Indian Air Force operates a fleet of 36 Rafale jets, while the navy primarily relies on Russian-made MiG-29 aircraft.
This latest deal is part of India's broader efforts to modernize its military, reduce its reliance on Russian defense equipment, and strengthen domestic weapons manufacturing to support troops stationed along disputed borders with Pakistan and China.
The Indian navy has increasingly raised concerns about China’s expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean, noting Beijing’s deployment of dual-purpose vessels in the region and the establishment of a military base in Djibouti since 2017.
The Rafale deal also underscores India’s enduring defense relationship with France, following earlier procurements such as the Mirage 2000 fighter jets in the 1980s and Scorpene-class submarines ordered in 2005. Photo by Tim Felce (Airwolfhound), Wikimedia commons.