(MENAFN) France is planning a major expansion of its Rafale fighter jet fleet, with a new goal of 286 aircraft under the proposed 2026 defense budget, up from the current total of 225, according to budget documents.

The Ministry of the Armed Forces is expected to place orders for 61 additional Rafale jets for both the Air and Space Force and the Navy to address rising operational needs and emerging security challenges. The budget also allocates funds to replace two Rafales lost in an Air Force 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 draft budget for 2026.

Previously, the Rafale fleet was limited to 225 jets under France’s 2013 White Paper on Defense and the 2019–2025 Military Programming Law, with 185 assigned to the Air and Space Force and 40 to the Navy. The 2024–2030 Military Programming Law had projected 178 aircraft by 2030, gradually increasing to 225 by 2035.

Manufactured by Dassault Aviation, the Rafale entered operational service with the Air Force in 1998 and the Navy in 1999. The multirole fighter forms the core of France’s air capabilities, performing air superiority, ground attack, reconnaissance, and nuclear deterrence missions.

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