New Delhi: India and France on April 28,2025, signed a government-to-government agreement worth ₹63,000 crore for the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft to bolster the Indian Navy’s air power. The deal, signed by defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, with Navy vice chief admiral K Swaminathan in attendance, includes the acquisition of weapons, simulators, spares, crew training, and five years of performance-based logistics support.
The Rafale Marine jets, built by France’s Dassault Aviation, will serve as an interim solution until India’s indigenous twin-engine deck-based fighter becomes operational. The 26 fighters, comprising 22 single-seat Rafale-M jets and four twin-seat trainers, are scheduled for delivery within 37 to 65 months from contract signing, with full induction expected by 2030–31.
Approved by the PM Modi-led Cabinet Committee on Security earlier this month, the purchase is aimed at enhancing the operational capabilities of India’s aircraft carriers, primarily INS Vikrant. The Rafale-M, specifically designed for 40,000-tonne class carriers, was selected after rigorous trials, outperforming the American F/A-18 Super Hornet in evaluations conducted by the Indian Navy in 2022.
“The new IGA mirrors the one inked in the IAF deal. All the 26 jets are to be delivered by 2031,” an official said.
The Rafale-M will be equipped with advanced weaponry, including Exocet AM39 anti-ship missiles, the over-300 km range Scalp air-to-ground cruise missiles, and Meteor air-to-air missiles capable of striking targets up to 150 km away. Known for its ability to carry out maritime strike, air defence, and reconnaissance missions, the 4.5-generation Rafale-M also has nuclear delivery capability.
The Navy currently operates 40 of the 45 MiG-29K jets inducted from Russia between 2009 and 2011, but these aircraft have faced persistent serviceability issues. With the indigenous TEDBF project still a decade away, the induction of the Rafale-M is seen as critical to maintaining the Navy’s operational readiness in the years ahead.
The agreement not only strengthens India’s maritime defence but also deepens strategic ties between New Delhi and Paris amid changing geopolitical dynamics.
BI Bureau
