India issues Letter of Request to France for 114 Rafale fighter jets in ₹3.25 lakh crore deal

Key facts

• India has issued a Letter of Request (LoR) to France for the acquisition of 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in a government-to-government deal worth approximately ₹3.25 lakh crore.
• Under the agreement, 94 Rafale jets will be manufactured in India by Dassault Aviation in partnership with an Indian company, featuring around 50 per cent localisation.
• The acquisition of 114 jets will increase the total number of Rafale aircraft for the IAF and the Indian Navy to 176, from the 62 already ordered.
• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the proposal to acquire the 114 Rafale jets in February.
• The delivery of Rafale Marines is expected to begin in 2028, while the IAF Rafales are expected to start arriving in approximately three and a half years.