India, France seal ₹63,000-crore Rafale-M deal to boost Navy's air power

NEW DELHI: India and France have officially concluded the much-awaited ₹63,000-crore (USD 7.4 billion) agreement for 26 Rafale-Marine (M) fighter jets, aimed at significantly strengthening the Indian Navy’s maritime combat strength.

Although the deal was initially supposed to be signed during French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s visit to New Delhi, it was finalised remotely due to the postponement of his trip for personal reasons.

The signing took place in the presence of Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and French Ambassador Dr Thierry Mathou as a government-to-government (G2G) agreement, which had already been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) earlier this month.

Senior officials from the Navy, Ministry of Defence (MoD), French Navy, Dassault Aviation, and MBDA were also present during the signing ceremony.

In a G2G deal, defence procurement is made through direct negotiation between the governments of the importing and exporting countries.

The Rafale-M jets for the Indian Navy are designed to take off from ski-jump ramps on aircraft carriers. Both INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya use the STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) mechanism for their fighters.

The order includes 22 single-seat fighter jets and four twin-seat trainer aircraft. These carrier-capable Rafale-M jets will be stationed on INS Vikrant, the Navy’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier.

The Navy is acquiring the Rafale-Ms as a short-term solution to replace its ageing fleet of Russian-made MiG-29K fighters, which have been facing operational issues. In the long term, the Navy plans to deploy the indigenous Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF), which is still under development.

Designed for tough naval missions, Rafale-M jets have reinforced undercarriages and are compatible with the Navy’s STOBAR system. Their ability to operate far from the coastline will provide India with a significant strategic advantage in the region.