India set to acquire Meteor missiles for Rafale fighter jets to boost air dominance: Report

India is further strengthening its aerial combat capabilities with the planned acquisition of a significant number of Meteor air-to-air missiles for the Indian Air Force’s frontline Rafale fighter jets, according to a report by ANI.

The Rafale combat aircraft fleet is currently the only one in the Indian Air Force capable of firing the European long-range Meteor missiles, which have a range of up to 200 kilometres. Defence sources told ANI that the proposal, worth around Rs 1,500 crore, for purchasing these beyond-visual-range missiles, manufactured by the European firm MBDA, is at an advanced stage in the Defence Ministry and is likely to be approved in a high-level meeting soon.

The Indian Air Force had earlier procured Meteors along with the first batch of 36 Rafales acquired from France in 2016. These missiles are also part of the 26 naval Rafales that are scheduled to arrive over the next few years.

India successfully destroyed Pakistani military and terrorist targets during Operation Sindoor, forcing Pakistan to seek a ceasefire within four days of the conflict in May this year. During the operation, Indian fighter jets used long-range standoff weapons to strike enemy targets. The Pakistan Air Force attempted to retaliate using its Chinese-origin air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles but failed to achieve any success.