France arranges to expand its Rafale fighter jet fleet
(MENAFN) France has announced plans to expand its Rafale fighter jet fleet to 286 aircraft under the 2026 defense budget, up from the current 225, according to official budget documents.
The Ministry of the Armed Forces is expected to order 61 additional Rafale jets for both the Air and Space Force and the Navy, reflecting increasing operational requirements and evolving security threats. The budget also allocates funds to replace two Rafales lost in a crash in August 2024.
“The target of the program may be adjusted to ensure consistency with the fleet size defined in the Military Programming Law,” the Economy Ministry stated in its 2026 draft budget.
Previously, the overall Rafale fleet was capped at 225 aircraft, as set in France’s 2013 White Paper on Defense and the 2019–2025 Military Programming Law (MPL)—comprising 185 jets for the Air and Space Force and 40 for the Navy. The 2024–2030 MPL projected 178 Rafales by 2030, gradually increasing to 225 aircraft by 2035.
Produced by Dassault Aviation, the Rafale entered service with the Air Force in 1998 and the Navy in 1999. The multirole fighter has become the backbone of French air power, capable of air superiority, ground attack, reconnaissance, and nuclear deterrence missions.
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