On Thursday, February 12, 2026, India’s Ministry of Defense announced that the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, had approved an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to fund several programs with a combined estimated value of approximately INR 3.6 lakh crore (INR 3.6 trillion).
Two of 36 Indian Rafale B/C (F3-R) / Photo: Bhartiya Vāyu Senā
For the Indian Air Force (Bhartiya Vāyu Senā), the decision covers two major programs:
- 114 Dassault Rafale multirole fighter aircraft under the MRFA (Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft) program, along with long-range air-to-ground guided missiles;
- unmanned high-altitude platforms/pseudo-satellites under the AS-HAPS (Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite) program.
According to the announcement, the acquisition of multirole fighters under the MRFA program will enhance the Air Force’s ability to achieve air dominance across the full spectrum of conflict and significantly strengthen deterrence through long-range offensive strike capabilities. Most of the aircraft are to be manufactured in India. The missiles will expand long-range ground-attack capabilities, offering high destructive power and very high precision. Meanwhile, the AS-HAPS system will be used for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), signals intelligence (SIGINT), communications, and military remote sensing.
This decision effectively rules out competing offers involving the F-35A Lightning II and the Sukhoi Su-57E.
MRFA Program
It is worth recalling that on January 10 of this year, the Indian daily The Economic Times was the first to report that the government in New Delhi was finalizing talks with France on the purchase of aircraft worth INR 2 lakh crore (INR 2 trillion / 19 billion EUR / 80 billion PLN). Earlier reports of the negotiations had been revealed on August 11 last year by The Times of India.
According to media reports, the deal is expected to cover 90 Dassault Rafale aircraft in the latest production standard, F4, and 24 in the planned F5 version. This number would allow for the complete replacement of the MiG-21 Bison (already retired), MiG-27, SEPECAT Jaguar, and Mirage 2000 fleets. The Rafales will complement the heavy Su-30MKI, the light Tejas LCA Mk 1A, and the future next-generation AMCA fighter.
To date, India has ordered two squadrons of Rafale B/C aircraft in the F3-R configuration for its Air Force – 36 aircraft in total (although one, serial number BS-001, was shot down by Pakistan on the night of May 6–7, 2025). On April 28, 2025, India also ordered 26 carrier-based Dassault Rafale M aircraft for the Navy (Bhāratīya Nau Senā). This brings the total number of Rafale B/C/M aircraft in Indian service to 175. The Indian Air Force currently fields 29 fighter squadrons, with a long-term goal of expanding to 42.
A significant portion of aircraft production will be allocated to India. On June 4, 2025, Dassault Aviation signed four Production Transfer Agreements with the Indian company Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) covering the transfer of fuselage production, both for new Indian government orders and for export markets. Production is scheduled to begin in 2028, with a capacity of up to 24 fuselages per year.
Current projects also include plans to establish a Snecma M88 turbofan engine assembly facility in Hyderabad and a Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) support center near Jewar in Uttar Pradesh to service Rafale fleets. Altogether, these initiatives are expected to account for 60% of the value of the future contract being invested domestically.
Other Approved Acquisitions
India’s Ministry of Defense also announced that, for the Army (Bhāratīya Sēnā), it approved the purchase of Vibhav anti-tank mines and the overhaul of armored recovery vehicles (ARVs), T-72 tanks, and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles.
For the Navy (Bhāratīya Nau Senā), approval was granted for the acquisition of a 0.4 MW gas turbine generator and additional long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, specifically the Boeing P-8I Neptune (12 already delivered and 6 previously ordered).
The Indian Coast Guard (Bharatiya Thatrakshak) received approval to procure electro-optical/infrared systems for 24 Dornier Do 228 patrol aircraft.
The Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh, today accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) worth Rs. 3.60 lakh crore, for key capability enhancements across the Defence Forces. For the IAF, approvals include MRFA (Rafale), Combat Missiles and…
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) February 12, 2026
See also:
- Safran to expand its Le Creusot facility with Snecma M88 engine components for the Rafale
- Indonesia has its first instructors on the Dassault Rafale
- Ukraine Interested in Purchasing 100 Dassault Rafale Aircraft
- France: New Dassault Aviation Production Facility in Cergy
- The first Rafale F4 for the United Arab Emirates
