India sent an official Letter of Request (LoR) to France regarding the supply of 26 Rafale M fighter aircraft for the needs of the Indian Navy as part of an intergovernmental agreement.

According to information sources from the Indian Ministry of Defence, Paris has received the request and is expected to decide soon, so that the two sides can quickly proceed with the implementation of the new armament program. The latter aims to strengthen the Indian Navy and, in particular, the Air Force which will operate with aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant by replacing the older MiG-29 K-type fighters.

Also read: Saudi Arabia | Ready to order 54 Rafale fighter jets

According to news agency ANI, the agreement for the supply of French fighter aircraft is estimated at approximately 5.5 billion euros and provides for the purchase of 22 single-seater and 4 training aircraft in the Rafale M (Marine) configuration, while the Rafale C configuration is already in service with the Indian Air Force.

The selection of the Rafale allows India to leverage existing logistics, combined with the Indian defence industry’s familiarity with the French systems.

Also read: Minister of National Defence | Participation of the Hellenic Defence Industry in FDI and Rafale procurements