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The Indian Navy could receive the first of the 26 Rafale Marine (Rafale M) aircraft carrier-based naval combat aircraft by May 2028 at the latest, with ThePrint reporting on Tuesday that India and France are likely to sign the €7 billion ($7.6 billion or Rs 63,000 crore) deal in April 2025, under a government-to-government contract, during French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu's visit to India. The report added that both sides have completed negotiations for the deal.
Sources within the defence and security establishment informed the news portal that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit France from February 10-12 to co-chair an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit. During the visit, he is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron, where both nations may formally announce the deal.
However, sources informed the news portal that the deal is expected to be signed only after the Parliament Budget session concludes. While the initial plan was to finalise the agreement within the current financial year, the timeline may be extended due to the ongoing Parliament session.
Why is India buying the Rafale M?
The Rafale M acquisition will enable the Indian Navy to operate these aircraft from its two aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
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Currently, both carriers are equipped with the Russian-made Mikoyan MiG-29K fighter aircraft.
Watch | Twin carrier operations by the @indiannavy After successful debut of INS Vikrant & INS Vikramaditya together at #MILAN2024, the duo made a pit stop at the Western Seaboard for #CommandersConference Such complex operations are testament to India's growing maritime power. pic.twitter.com/PtSXPbnOjv
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) March 13, 2024
India selected the Rafale M over the American Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet for its naval fleet. A key advantage of this choice is the commonality with the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) Rafale jets, which is expected to reduce costs related to spares and maintenance.
France completed the delivery of all 36 Rafale jets to the IAF in December 2022. India had ordered the combat aircraft in a Rs 59,000-crore government-to-government deal in September 2016.
When will the Indian Navy get its first Rafale M?
As per ThePrint report, France would be contractually required to deliver the first Rafale M aircraft within 37 months from the deal's signing. With the agreement likely to be finalised in April 2025, this means the Indian Navy can expect the first Rafale M to be delivered by May 2028.
The contract is also expected to include a provision requiring Dassault Aviation to demonstrate a modified Rafale M with the Indian Navy’s requested changes within 18 months. While sources did not specify the exact modifications, they indicated that the changes are aimed at ensuring optimal performance from Indian aircraft carriers.
The Rafale M development follows a report from the same portal indicating that the Indian Navy has dropped plans to operate three aircraft carriers simultaneously and is instead prioritising the construction of a second indigenous aircraft carrier to eventually replace INS Vikramaditya.
According to that report, the government does not support the Navy's position on maintaining a three-carrier fleet, which would have ensured that at least two carriers remained operational at all times, even if one was undergoing refits. Instead, the government is reportedly pushing for a greater focus on submarines, including nuclear-powered attack vessels, rather than expanding the aircraft carrier fleet.
What are the capabilities of the Indian Navy's Rafale M jets?
The IAF variant and the Navy’s Rafale M have approximately 80 per cent common components.
"The Air Force single-seat Rafale C, the Air Force two-seat Rafale B, and the Navy single-seat Rafale M feature maximum airframe and equipment commonality, and very similar mission capabilities," says Dassault Aviation, the aircraft's manufacturer.
All Rafale variants belong to the 4+ generation of fighter aircraft, incorporating advanced avionics and select capabilities typically found in fifth-generation jets.
However, the Rafale M aircraft being acquired for the Indian Navy under the latest deal features key distinctions from the IAF variant.
The Rafale M is a single-seat, multi-role fighter capable of executing deep strikes, air defence, and reconnaissance missions. Similar to the IAF variant, Dassault Aviation describes the Rafale M as an "omnirole aircraft", meaning it can engage in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat simultaneously.
Designed for aircraft carrier operations, the Rafale M includes several modifications that differentiate it from the IAF variant:
- Reinforced undercarriage and landing gear to withstand the impact of carrier landings.
- Tail hook system for arrested landings on a carrier deck.
- Jump strut nosewheel that extends during short takeoffs, including catapult launches.
- Built-in ladder for cockpit access from the carrier deck.
- Carrier-based landing system for precision landings.
- Foldable wings to accommodate storage constraints on aircraft carriers.
- These structural reinforcements make the Rafale M slightly heavier than the IAF variant.
Both the IAF Rafale and the latest standard of the Rafale M feature:
- Thales RBE2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, with the Rafale M's version optimised for maritime operations.
- Thales SPECTRA internal electronic warfare system, also fine-tuned for naval operations.
Both variants share a common weapons package, including:
- Meteor long-range air-to-air missile (A2A)
- MICA A2A missile
- HAMMER air-to-surface stand-off weapon
- SCALP long-range stand-off missile
- AM39 EXOCET anti-ship missile
- Laser-guided bombs
These features make the Rafale M a formidable naval fighter, ensuring seamless integration with India's carrier-based operations while maintaining compatibility with IAF Rafales for streamlined logistics and maintenance.
#PeoplesChoice The winner of our poll, with 53% of the votes, is the Rafale! So here goes #RafaleRavivaar. pic.twitter.com/QEZGSMDEGC
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 8, 2023
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