France orders more Rafale fighter jets to 'modernise its operational capabilities'

France on Friday (Jan 12) said that it has placed an order for 42 new Rafale fighter jets and its very first batch would be delivered in the year 2027.

The order for the latest version of the Dassault planes, which is worth five-billion-euro ($5.5 billion), would offer "modernised operational capabilities" to the French air force, said Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

The Rafale is a "multi-role" fighter that can be used to hunt enemy planes, hit ground and sea targets, conduct surveillance and also carrynuclear warheads.

The announcement made on Friday is the very first significant purchase made under France's 413-billion-euro military procurement plan for 2024-30.

Last year, a hike of 40 per cent over the previous seven-year period was passed by the parliament in the month of July.

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"I want France to continue to have armed forces that set the standard for Europe," President Emmanuel Macron said at the time.

Lecornu said the order would support "more than 7,000 jobs in more than 400 companies" in France.

Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier released a statement saying that Rafale was an example of "military-industrial sovereignty" that made France an "exception in Europe".

The order comes as France is setting up a programme with Germany and Spain to develop a future jet fighter, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which is expected to replace the Rafale in 2040.

Indonesia ordersRafale fighter jets

The Indonesian government signed a contract to purchase 18 more Rafale fighter jets from France, the Defence Ministry said in astatement released on Tuesday (Jan 9), reported theJakarta Post.

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on Monday signed a contract for the last batch of 18 Rafale, said the ministry.

The first delivery of the jets is expected in early 2026.

“The arrival of the Rafale fighter-jets along with their weapons and support equipment is expected to significantly increase the strength and readiness of the Indonesian Air Force in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty in the air,” the ministryspokesman, Brig. Gen. Edwin Adrian Sumantha said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)