Chicago – February 13, 2026
India on Thursday gave initial clearance for a 3.6-trillion-rupee ($40 billion) boost to the country’s armed forces, including procurement of more Rafale fighter jets for the air force and Boeing P-8I reconnaissance aircraft for the navy.
Heightened tensions with its neighbours, including Pakistan, have pushed India’s military to modernise.
The air force’s fighter squadron strength has shrunk to 29 in recent months, well below the 42 it had earlier. Its workhorse MiG-21 was retired in September and other early variants of the MiG-29, the Anglo-French Jaguar and the French Mirage 2000, are also set to end service in the coming years.
