India Eyes Rafale Deal and Su-57s Amid Indigenous Delays

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh announced that the Indian Air Force aims to finalize a multi-role fighter aircraft deal with France to procure 114 Rafale jets by the end of the current financial year. The acquisition, estimated at Rs 3.25 lakh crore, would bring India's total Rafale inventory to 176 aircraft. Singh noted the force requires 36 to 40 new aircraft annually to address depleting squadron strength.

While prioritizing domestic production, Singh acknowledged significant delays in the delivery of the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A. He stated that the air force is looking toward the Mk-2 version to fill existing capability gaps. He emphasized that defense self-reliance is a necessity to reduce dependence on foreign sources amid global supply chain disruptions.

Regarding fifth-generation capabilities, Singh indicated that India may explore alternative options if the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme continues to face delays. He confirmed that Russia has offered the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter, though no decision has been made on the proposal. This comes despite previous statements from Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh that the government had not decided to pursue foreign fifth-generation programmes. The AMCA prototype is currently expected to fly in 2028, with the Aeronautical Development Agency recently extending the deadline for industry proposals to October 30.