New Delhi is poised to obtain additional Dassault Aviation Rafale fighters and Boeing P-8I Neptune maritime patrol aircraft, as it also commits to additional locally produced Do 228s.
India’s Defence Acquisition Council has accorded an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for INR3.6 trillion ($39.7 billion) in arms purchases, according to the country’s defence ministry.
For the Indian air force this includes an unspecified number of Rafales under the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) requirement, as well as “combat missiles” and a multi-role airship platform.
“The procurement of MRFA will enhance the capability of undertaking air dominance roles across the spectrum of conflict and significantly boost the deterrence capabilities of [the air force] with long range offensive strikes,” says the ministry.
“The majority of MRFA to be procured will be manufactured in India. The combat missiles will enhance the stand-off ground attack capability with deep strike power and very high accuracy. The [airship] will be utilised towards carrying out persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, telecommunication and remote sensing for military purposes.”
Indian media reports suggest that 114 Rafales will be obtained, which is consistent with the country’s long-running MRFA requirement.
The “combat missile” could refer to the MBDA Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile, a weapon that is already in India’s inventory. India’s Sukhoi Su-30MKIs also use the Brahmos air-launched cruise missile.
The announcement comes days before French president Emmanual Macron pays an official visit to India between 17-19 February.
An AoN from the Defence Acquisition Council is a formal approval that a military purchase is justified, allowing the government to move forward into detailed tendering, vendor selection, and eventual contract negotiations.
Should the deal go through, the Rafale will have defeated rival MRFA offerings from Boeing, Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin, and Saab.
India obtained 36 Rafales off the shelf after the collapse of 126-aircraft Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition in 2015. That deal had called for 18 aircraft to be delivered off the shelf, and 108 to be produced locally.
Although the Rafale emerged triumphant in MMRCA, squabbles over cost and local production ultimately doomed the programme.
Up to three of India’s Rafales were lost during India’s May 2025 conflict with Pakistan. India also has orders for 26 Rafale Ms that will operate from the nation’s aircraft carriers.
Also included in the AoN are an unspecified number of P-8Is, but reports suggest the number to be obtained is six. In 2021, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency cleared a $2.42 billion deal for New Delhi covering six P-8Is.
“The acquisition of P-8I aircraft will significantly boost the Navy’s combat/war-fighting capability of long-range anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance and maritime strike capability,” says the defence ministry.
The Indian navy already operates 12 P-8Is, which incorporate a range of locally produced systems.
Separately, the India’s defence ministry has signed a INR23.1 billion contract with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) for eight Do 228s to serve with India’s coast guard. The aircraft will be equipped with an electro-optical/infrared sensor capability.
Cirium, an aviation analytics company, indicates that the Indian coast guard has 33 in-service Do 228s, all produced by HAL.
