India To Buy 26 Rafale Marine Fighter Jets Worth Rs 63,000 Crore From France: Report

The deal, estimated to be worth more than Rs 63,000 crore, was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to purchase the aircraft from France for the Indian Navy.

India is all set to buy 26 Rafale fighter jets from France worth over Rs 63,000 crore for the Navy

Source : PTI

India is all set to buy 26 Rafale fighter jets worth more than Rs 63,000 crore for the Navy in a government-to-government deal. The deal was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to purchase the aircraft from France for the Indian Navy.

The deal is expected to be signed later this month, during French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu's India visit. Under the agreement, the Indian Navy will receive 22 single-seater and four twin-seater aircraft. Following the CCS approval, the Ministry of Defence will now engage in discussions and finalise the agreement with France.

The deal also includes a comprehensive package for fleet maintenance, personnel training, logistical support, and indigenous manufacturing components under offset obligations. The Rafale Marine fighter aircraft are known for their advanced technology and versatility. 

According to Economic Times, the deal will also ensure five years of performance-based logistics support and spares for the 36 Rafale jets already inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2016 under a contract worth Rs 59,000 crore.

These fighters will be deployed on INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, and will complement the existing MiG-29K fleet of the Navy.

The deal marks a significant step toward strengthening the Indian Navy's operational capabilities. This agreement is expected to boost the Indian Navy's maritime security capabilities and enhance the country’s overall defence preparedness.

Manufactured by Dassault Aviation, the Rafale jets are expected to be delivered within 37 to 65 months after the signing of the contract. All jets slated for delivery by 2030-31, news agency ANI reported.

The new Rafale Marine aircraft will help upgrade the IAF's "buddy-buddy" aerial refuelling system, enabling up to 10 Rafale jets to refuel each other mid-air, which would significantly enhance their operational range.

The deal may also include ground-based equipment and software upgrades for the IAF fleet, ensuring seamless integration across both the IAF and the Indian Navy’s Rafale jets, defence sources told ANI.

The Indian Navy is waiting for the government to take the final decision and choose either Dassault Aviation’s Rafale M or Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet for India’s new aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar told ABP Live. 

“This will be decision of the government. We have said yes to both. Now it’s for the MoD (Ministry of Defence) to decide. Both the aircraft are okay. They have proved themselves. But now there will be other issues, for example, we already have Rafales for the Air Force. Now there will be commonality for spare parts and support etc.,” the Navy Chief added. 

Asked which one of the aircraft the Navy prefers, Kumar said: “Each has got its own strengths and weaknesses, so let the government decide.” 

The Navy Chief added: “We are getting a twin-engine, deck-based fighters being developed in India since we believe in Aatmanirbhar Bharat.” However, he said, the prototype is expected to be ready by 2026-27 and it may be inducted in the Navy by 2034. 

The Navy currently operates Russian MiG 29K for INS Vikrant. But it wants to go for a completely indigenous fighter jet in the future and imported Rafale M or Super Hornet will be used only temporarily. 

“We have learnt what are the requirements for a carrier-launched aircraft. Since there is a gap between now and the time when the prototype will be completed we was expressed interest for a deck-based fighter and therefore we had Rafale M and F/A-18 doing the trials in Goa,” he said. 

“The trials were successful and all the points were achieved.”

Malabar Exercise Will Get ‘More And More Complex’

On the upcoming Malabar Naval Exercise that will be taking place later this year amid rising geopolitical tensions, the Navy Chief said every year the navies of the partner countries — India, Japan, Australia and the US — strive to achieve “some new development”. 

He told ABP Live that there are no proposals of any new country joining the Malabar naval war games. 

“There have been improvement in the exercises since it began and now it will become more and more complex,” he said.