India is further boosting 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 jet fleet. The Rafale combat aircraft fleet is the only one in the Indian Air Force capable of firing the European long-range missiles with a range of up to 200 kilometres.

Defence sources told ANI that the around Rs 1,500 crore proposal for purchasing these Meteor 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 planned to be held soon.

The Indian Air Force has ordered Meteors, along with the first batch of 36 Rafales that it acquired from France in 2016, and they are also part

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