The deal, valued at approximately $40 billion, includes Rafale fighters manufactured by Dassault Aviation. On February 12, India's Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved procurement plans covering Rafale aircraft and their weapons package, as well as six Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft.
According to Bloomberg, which cited sources familiar with the matter, the planned Rafale order totals 114 aircraft — a figure repeatedly reported in recent years and 14 more than Ukraine intends to procure. The package also includes six additional P-8 aircraft, supplementing the 12 already in service with the Indian Air Force.
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The approval comes less than a week before the official visit to India by French President Emmanuel Macron, scheduled for February 17–19, as confirmed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
The visit is expected to include talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the launch of a bilateral "Year of Innovation," and discussions on regional and global issues. The firm contract for Rafale and P-8 deliveries is widely expected to be signed during Macron’s trip.
A key outstanding question concerns the breakdown of the Rafale cost within the overall $40 billion package, as only the total value of the deal has been disclosed. In addition to aircraft, India has also approved missile procurement. Earlier, New Delhi announced plans to replenish its stockpile of SCALP cruise missiles, allocating approximately €300 million for that purpose.
For Dassault Aviation, the agreement would mark a major commercial success, effectively increasing its current order backlog, estimated at around 220 fighter jets, by roughly 50 percent.
Last year, Dassault slightly exceeded its Rafale production target, delivering 26 aircraft — one more than planned.
Earlier, Defense Express reported that Dassault is integrating combat artificial intelligence developed by Harmattan AI, which cooperates with Ukrainian firm Skyeton, into the Rafale platform.
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