India, France to sign ₹63k-cr deal for 26 Rafale fighters today

The aircraft is being imported as an interim measure to meet the navy’s urgent requirements until India develops its own twin-engine deck-based fighter

India will on Monday sign a ₹63,000-crore deal with France to buy 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, a move aimed at boosting the Indian Navy’s capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

The fighter is known to be a sturdy aircraft and comes with a raft of design features. (PTI photo)

The Cabinet Commitee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the government-to-government deal for 22 single-seat Rafale M fighters and four twin-seat trainers earlier this month.

The aircraft, manufactured by French plane maker Dassault Aviation, is being imported as an interim measure to meet the navy’s urgent requirements until India develops its own twin-engine deck-based fighter.

The Rafale M procurement will include weapons, simulators, spares, associated ancillary equipment, crew training and logistics support for the Indian Navy from the French government.

In July 2023, India’s defence acquisition council (DAC), headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, approved the navy’s proposal to buy 26 Rafale M fighters to sharpen its operational capabilities.

The fighter is known to be a sturdy aircraft and comes with a raft of design features that enhance its survivability in aircraft carrier operations that are demanding and expose deck-based assets to a highly corrosive environment.

It has been specifically designed to operate from 40,000-tonne class aircraft carriers. The aircraft is deployed on the French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.