Nod to procure 26 more Rafale fighters underscores deep rooted Indo-French ties

As the government cleared a mega Rs 63,000-crore deal on April 9 to procure 26 maritime variants of the French Rafale fighter, it not only underscores the deep-rooted Indo-French strategic relationship that goes back over seven decades, but also casts a throwback on India’s long history of using French military aircraft that began in the early 1950s.

France has been a key supplier of military equipment to India and providing the required diversification of procurement sources. Besides aircraft, India also operates the French Scorpene submarines, six of which have been constructed under licence at Mumbai and another three are in the pipeline.

France is the second largest exporter of military equipment and its top client is India, accounting for 28 per cent of its exports, according to Trends in International Arms Transfers – 2024, published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in March 2025.

On the other hand, France has been acquiring software and electronic items from India and has also envisioned interest in some of India’s indigenously developed weapon platforms like the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket system. France figures among the top three export destinations for Indian defence products.

There have also been collaborations on missile systems and aero-engines, especially the power plant for the Dhruv helicopter engines, along with undertaking joint military training exercises and cooperation in the fields of cybersecurity and counter-terrorism and regional security. France has also stood by India in various international forums

While Russia has been the major supplier of military equipment to India since the late 1960s, SIPRI observed that India is shifting its arms-supply relations towards Western suppliers — most notably France, Israel and the US, even though relations with Russia remain friendly.

The go-ahead to procure 26 Rafales for the Navy, which will complement its fleet air arm that is based around Russian MiG-29, comes close on the heels of the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Paris in February this year. Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated their commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties in all spheres, including defence.

It was in 1953 that the Indian Air Force inducted its first French-made fighter, the Dassault Ouragan fighter-bomber, which was also the first jet-powered aircraft to be produced by France. India initially contracted for 71 aircraft, in a move to diversify supply sources that till then had predominantly been British.

Christened Toofani in India, the first four Ouragans were received in October 1953 and deliveries were completed by March 1957. Two additional orders for 20 and 13 second-hand Ouragans were placed later, making it a total of 104 aircrafts.

In 1961, Toofanis saw active service in the campaign for the liberation of Goa from Portuguese, carrying out airstrikes in support of the Indian Army in Diu on the western coast. During the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, they were used for reconnaissance.

Toofani, which continued service till 1967, was replaced by Mystère IV-A, also manufactured by Dassault in France. These started coming in from 1957 and 104 were procured by the IAF.

Mystères were extensively used in the 1965 Indo-Pak war in aerial combat as well as strike missions. These destroyed several Pakistani aircrafts on ground, including four F-86F Sabres, three F-104 Starfighters and two Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports. In air-to-air combat, one of the pilots was posthumously decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra for shooting down an F-104 despite his aircraft being damaged.

The IAF began phasing out the Mystères after the 1965 war, though a few remaining aircraft saw action in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. They were also used for training and target towing, finally flying into the sunset in 1973.

As the IAF looked for a deep penetration strike aircraft to neutralise targets well behind enemy lines, Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar came into the picture, an aircraft that continues to form a critical part of the IAF’s strike capability for the past about 45 years.

The first Jaguar to take to the Indian skies was in 1979, with 18 aircraft from Britain’s Royal Air Force serving the IAF as an interim measure till 1984, till India’s own aircraft arrived. The IAF was the largest export customer of the Jaguar, involving 40 aircrafts built in Europe and another 120 licence-built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

At present, the IAF operates around 120 twin-engine Jaguars, equipping six squadrons – No. 5, 6, 14, 16, 27 and 224, based in Ambala, Jamnagar and Gorakhpur. Some Jaguars have also been modified for the maritime role with anti-ship missiles.

At present, India is the sole remaining Jaguar operator, with other users — France, the UK, Oman, Nigeria and Ecuador — having retired them. A few years ago, India procured 31 decommissioned Jaguar airframes from France and two each from the UK and Oman, along with several thousand aero-spares to replace some aircraft lost due to attrition and ensure serviceability of the existing fleet. Jaguars have undergone three upgrade programmes

Jaguars have conducted reconnaissance missions during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka. During the 1999 Kargil conflict, Jaguars carried out photo-recce sorties along the Line of Control (LoC) and were also used to bomb enemy positions with guided munitions as well as unguided bombs. These have also participated in several multi-national exercises in India as well as overseas.

As Pakistan began procuring F-16 fighters from the United States in the early 1980s, the IAF went in for Dassault Mirage-2000, a potent multi-role combat platform that has seen combat during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the strikes on terrorist camps in Balakot across the LoC, besides other escort missions and special operations. During the 2020 China-India standoff, Mirage 2000Is were operationally deployed.

India procured 40 of these fourth-generation aircraft that entered service in 1985, equipping two squadrons, No.1 and No.7 at Gwalior. Later, 10 additional aircrafts were procured. During the last decade, an upgrade programme was also undertaken to improve their operational capability.

India’s long standing requirement for an advanced multi-role aircraft was finally met after years of evaluations, procedural delays and setbacks, when Dassault Rafale was finally inducted in 2016. Classified as a 4.5 generation aircraft, it equips two IAF squadrons, No.15 based at Ambala and No.101 at Hasimara in the north-east.

Rafales, which are the most advanced aircraft at present in the IAF inventory were also operationally deployed, along with other fighters, during the 2020 face-off with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.