Platform profile · India · Omnirole fighter · Indian Air Force; Indian Navy (on order)
The IAF's 36 aircraft are operational, 26 naval aircraft are under firm contract, and the 114-aircraft follow-on remains in negotiation.
On 25 May 2026, India reportedly finalised the request letter for 114 additional Rafales following the Defence Acquisition Council's 12 February Acceptance of Necessity, although negotiations and final approval remain outstanding. The Indian Navy separately signed its firm order on 28 April 2025 for 26 aircraft—22 carrier-capable single-seaters and four twin-seaters—with delivery scheduled for completion by 2030. The Indian Air Force already operates 36 Rafales, while a June 2025 Dassault-Tata agreement is establishing India's first Rafale-fuselage production line. Together, the operational Air Force fleet and future carrier aircraft strengthen India's two-front deterrence and extend high-end air power across the Indian Ocean.
Updated 17 Jul 2026
Verified figures
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 15.30 m length × 10.90 m wingspan × 5.30 m height ↗ |
| Empty weight | 10 t class ↗ |
| Maximum take-off weight | 24.5 t ↗ |
| Internal fuel | 4.7 t ↗ |
| Powerplant | 2 × M88-2 afterburning turbofans; 7.5 t maximum thrust each ↗ |
| Maximum speed | Mach 1.8 / 750 kn ↗ |
| Tactical range (Rafale M) | Up to 1,600 km ↗ |
| External load and stations | 9.5 t on 14 stations; 13 stations on Rafale M ↗ |
| Sensors | RBE2 AESA radar, Front Sector Optronics, SPECTRA electronic-warfare suite and IFF ↗ |
| Armament | 30 mm cannon at 2,500 rounds/min; Meteor, MICA, SCALP, AM39 Exocet and 250/1,000 kg HAMMER weapons ↗ |
Spec sources: dassault-aviation.com ↗ · dassault-aviation.com ↗ · dassault-aviation.com ↗
Changelog
Four Rafales landed at Darwin with two C-17s and more than 120 personnel for Exercise Pitch Black 2026, the largest edition of the RAAF's multinational air-combat exercise, running from 20 July to 7 August.
India issued the Letter of Request to France for 114 additional Rafales — 90 to 94 to be manufactured in India — moving the roughly ₹3.25 lakh crore proposal into government-to-government negotiation.
India reportedly finalised the request letter for 114 additional Rafales for transmission to France, while price negotiations and final Cabinet approval remained outstanding.
The Defence Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity for the Rafale-based Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft programme, reported as 114 aircraft including 90 planned for Indian manufacture.
Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems signed four production-transfer agreements for a Hyderabad facility planned to produce up to two complete Rafale fuselages per month from FY2028.
India and France signed the agreement for 26 Indian Navy Rafales—22 single-seaters and four twin-seaters—with training, simulators, weapons and support, and deliveries due to finish by 2030.
The Defence Acquisition Council granted Acceptance of Necessity for 26 Rafale Marine aircraft and their weapons, simulator, spares, training and logistics package.
The 36th and final Rafale from India's 2016 order landed in India, completing delivery of the Indian Air Force's two-squadron fleet.
1 tagged story
Four Rafales, two C-17s and 120-plus air warriors have landed in Darwin for Exercise Pitch Black 2026 — with an Il-78 topping up the fighters over Indonesia on the way, a small detail that says as much about India's reach as the exercise itself.
