In a major move to bolster the Indian Navy’s air might, a deal between India and France for the purchase of 26 Rafale-Marine (Rafale-M) fighter jets worth Rs 63,000 crore was signed here today. As part of the inter-governmental deal between India and France, the country would receive 22 single-seater variants and four twin-seater variants of the jet, designed in accordance with its Naval fleet’s requirements.

Set to replace the MiG-29 K fleet, the new fleet will operate from INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. With the first lot of jets expected to be delivered in the coming years, it is scheduled to be completed by 2031.

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As part of an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) model between India and France, the jets are designed in accordance with India’s Naval fleet’s requirements. Apart from the fighter jets, the deal would also include weapons, a simulator, spares, associated ancillary equipment, personnel training, and logistical support from the French. It also includes setting up of production facility for Rafale Fuselage as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facilities for aircraft engine, sensors, and weapons in India.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence stated that the IGA has been signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of Armed Forces of France Sebastien Lecornu. The signed copies of the agreement, aircraft package supply protocol, and weapons package supply protocol were exchanged by Indian and French officials in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at Nausena Bhawan, here today.

The clearance was given by the Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier this month.

Currently, the Indian Air Force holds 36 Rafale fighter jets, first inducted in 2016, stationed at two air bases at Ambala, in Haryana and Hasimara in West Bengal. Under the new deal, spares and logistical support would also be extended to the existing Rafales in the country’s defence fleet.

A carrier-based version of the Rafale fighter, the Marine edition of the fighter jet comes loaded with advanced avionics, weapons systems, and operational adaptability. It also features a robust landing gear, arrestor hooks, and a reinforced airframe, allowing it to carry out Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) operations, a method engaged for the launch and retrieval of aircraft on aircraft carriers.

Manufactured by Dassault Aviation, the Rafale made its debut in the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006. Considered to be the most seasoned fighter in the world, the delivery of Rafale-M jets is scheduled to be completed by 2030-31, with the delivery of the first batch anticipated within 37 to 65 months following the signing of the final contract.

In July 2023, the Ministry of Defence had approved the purchase for the deployment of the jets on its first indigenously built aircraft carrier- INS Vikrant.