India closes a $7.6 billion contract for 26 Rafale M fighters, strengthening its naval aviation capability and substituting modern MiG-29Ks on aircraft carriers.
India has signed a $7.6 billion agreement with France to bolster its naval aviation capability to buy 26 Rafale M fighter planes. Scheduled to be formally signed in April 2025 during the visit of the French Defence Minister to India, the deal has been under negotiations for months. With four twin-seat Rafale B versions used for land-based training activities, the procurement consists of 22 single-seat Rafale M aircraft. Replace the outdated MiG-29K fleet, and these upgraded fighters will be sent onboard the INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya aircraft carriers.
Purchasing Rafale M fighters is a major turning point in India's navy upgrading as it improves its carrier-based air combat capacity. Already flying for the French Navy, the Rafale M provides missile systems, sophisticated sensor fusion, and electronic warfare capabilities. The agreement also fits India's more general military upgrading ambitions.
After acquiring 36 Rafale aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2016, the Indian Navy chose the Rafale M, which shows its inclination for a platform that has been tested operationally and demonstrated to be dependable. The corporation in charge of the Rafale, Dassault Aviation, is thinking about setting up a manufacturing facility in India. Aiming to boost local defence production, the "Make in India" project may help India to place the latter Rafale purchases.
The procurement of Rafale M by India increases its capacity for maritime strikes, guaranteeing operational synergy with the current fleet of the Indian Air Force.
