Pushing domestic defence manufacturing into high gear, India has finalised the formal Letter of Request (LoR) to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets from France, a majority of which will be built locally. The official document, which outlines the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) technical and operational requirements, is expected to be dispatched to Paris within the “next few weeks”, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Under the proposed deal, around 90 fighter jets will be manufactured in India through a partnership between French aerospace major Dassault Aviation and an Indian firm, while the remaining aircraft will be delivered in fly-away condition.
Officials told The Indian Express that after France responds to the LoR, India will move forward with issuing the formal Request for Proposal (RFP) for the acquisition.
What is a Letter of Request (LoR)?
The LoR is a government-to-government document used to initiate defence procurements under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) route. It outlines operational capabilities, quantity requirements and technical specifications sought by the buyer nation.
Under the defence procurement process, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) first grants approval for the purchase, following which the LoR is issued. Once the foreign government responds with pricing, availability and logistical details, negotiations are held before the proposal is placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final approval.
IAF chief to visit France ahead of PM Modi’s trip
The development comes three months after the DAC cleared the long-pending proposal to acquire the Rafale fighter jets through an inter-governmental agreement. IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is expected to visit France early next month ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit later in June, the report mentioned.
The IAF currently operates 36 Rafale fighter aircraft, while the Indian Navy is set to induct 26 Rafale M jets for carrier-based operations over the coming years. Officials said acquiring additional Rafales would help reduce training and logistics costs due to existing infrastructure and operational familiarity, as pe the report.
Sources told the news outlet that the indigenous content in the new aircraft is expected to be close to 50 per cent. India is also negotiating for access to Interface Control Documents (ICDs), which would allow integration of indigenous weapons systems such as the Astra missile and BrahMos-NG with the fighter jets. However, complete access to the aircraft source code is considered unlikely.
The government is aiming to finalise and sign the contract by the end of this year, subject to successful commercial negotiations and approval from the CCS.
Rafales to help address IAF squadron shortage
The massive deal marks a significant step in the IAF’s long-pending effort to modernise its fighter fleet. The force currently operates 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42. The additional Rafales are expected to help bridge the capability gap until indigenous programmes such as LCA Mk1A, LCA Mk2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) become operational.
The AMCA project is expected to enter service only after 2035. In the interim, India is also evaluating options for a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Russia has shared details of its Su-57 stealth fighter, although no decision has been taken so far, the report said.