Last Updated:January 19, 2026, 20:11 IST The government may soon approve the IAF’s plan to buy 114 Rafale jets, while HAL awaits Russia’s cost report for domestic Sukhoi-57 production amid urgent fleet needs The IAF currently operates around 30 fighter squadrons, significantly below the sanctioned strength of 42. (Image: PTI/File) With the Indian Air Force (IAF) grappling with a shrinking fighter fleet, the Centre appears poised for a major capital push to bolster combat strength. The government is expected to soon clear the IAF’s long-pending proposal to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation, even as parallel deliberations are under way on the cost and feasibility of inducting Russia’s fifth-generation Sukhoi-57 aircraft. According to a report by The Indian Express, state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is awaiting a detailed cost assessment from Russia on manufacturing the Sukhoi-57 in India. No decision has yet been taken on the aircraft’s induction, with HAL likely to receive the Russian report later this month. The assessment will outline the estimated expenditure and infrastructure requirements for launching the …