The IAF already operates 36 Rafales, and the Navy is set to induct 26 Rafale M aircraft for carrier operations over the next few years.India has finalised the Letter of Request (LoR) for the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets for the IAF and is expected to send it to France “very soon”, within the “next few weeks”, The Indian Express has learnt.Around 90 jets from this set of 114 are to be manufactured in India through a collaboration between the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation and an Indian company, while the rest will arrive in fly-away condition.Senior officials said that soon after France responds to the LoR, India will formalise the Request for Proposal (RFP) for acquisition.An LoR is a formal government-to-government document used to initiate such procurement, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) route, outlining the capabilities, quantities and technical requirements needed.In such procurements, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) first grants its approval, following which the LoR is issued. Once the foreign government responds, mentioning the price, availability and logistical support, negotiations take place between the two sides. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has to grant approval before the final contract is signed.In this case, the LoR came three months after the DAC cleared the long-awaited proposal to buy the Rafales under an inter-governmental deal. IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is scheduled to visit France early next month before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits later in June.Also Read | Why the Rafale Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft is India’s fastest route to air power superiorityThe IAF already operates 36 Rafales, and the Navy is set to induct 26 Rafale M aircraft for carrier operations over the next few years. The procurement of additional Rafales will help minimise logistical and training costs.Story continues below this adThe indigenous content of the jets would be nearly 50 per cent. While having complete access to the source code is unlikely, India has been negotiating to obtain the Interface Control Documents (ICD) for the jets, to be able to integrate indigenous weapons such as Astra and BrahMos-NG. An ICD is a technical blueprint on how an aircraft’s onboard systems communicate with external weapons, sensors and equipment.The Government is aiming to sign the contract by the end of this year, once commercial negotiations conclude and the CCS approves the acquisition.The process for the acquisition of modern fighter jets for IAF has picked up over the past year after a long wait of nearly 18 years. The Rafales will be critical in filling the gap in the IAF’s fighter squadron strength, which stands at 29 against the sanctioned strength of 42. They are expected to bridge this capability gap until the maturity of India’s indigenous fighter programmes, LCA Mk1A, LCA Mk2 and the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).The AMCA is expected to enter service only after 2035, and planners are considering procuring a separate fifth-generation fighter in the interim. Russia has provided details of its fifth-generation jet Su-57, but India is yet to make a decision.Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:IAFRafale fighter jet