In a major boost to Indian Navy’s operational preparedness, Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved procurement of 26 naval variants of Rafale fighter jets built by France. The deal is worth over Rs 64,000 crore.
These fighter jets will start coming in after the likely signing of an inter-government deal between the two countries later this month during the visit of French Defence Minister to New Delhi, sources said.
The Rafale Marine jets will be deployed on aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya and the entire lot is expected to be inducted in five years to replace the ageing MiG-29K fleet, it was learnt. They will significantly enhance the Navy’s air power at sea.
In July 2023, the Defence Ministry accorded the initial approval for the mega acquisition following a series of deliberations and evaluation tests of the platform.
Indian Navy will receive 22 single-seat jets along with four twin-seat variants and a comprehensive package for fleet maintenance, logistical support, personnel training, and indigenous manufacturing components under offset obligations. The deal also includes training for Indian Navy personnel.
The Rafale Marine, a carrier-based version of the combat-proven Rafale fighter, is known for its advanced avionics, weapons systems, and operational versatility.
Deliveries of the Rafale Marine fighter jets are projected to commence in around four years, sources said, adding that the Navy is expected to receive the first batch by late 2029, with the full fleet likely to be inducted by 2031.
The deal is being processed through the inter-governmental route, ensuring expedited delivery timelines and assured maintenance support from the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
The Rafale M is engineered for carrier-based missions, featuring reinforced landing gear, arrestor hooks, and a strengthened airframe to execute Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) operations - a technique used to launch and recover aircraft on naval carriers.
The Indian Air Force bought 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in fly—away condition. There is a thinking in the IAF that it should go for at least two more squadrons of Rafale jets.
The defence and strategic ties between India and France have been on an upswing in the last few years. In July 2023, India and France announced a raft of ground-breaking defence cooperation projects including the joint development of jet and helicopter engines.
The two strategic partners also had expressed commitment to cooperate in the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including for the benefit of third countries.
The Defence Ministry also approved a proposal nearly two years back to procure three Scorpene submarines to further crank up India’s naval prowess. However, the CCS is yet to clear the project.
Under the Indian Navy’s Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have already been constructed in India by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in cooperation with the Naval Group of France.
