Rafale M fighters to boost Indian Navy’s arsenal
The twin-engine Rafale M has been specifically designed to operate from 40,000-tonne class aircraft carriers.
The Indian Navy’s latest fighter Rafale Marine is a sturdy aircraft built for sustained combat operations at sea and comes with a raft of design features that significantly enhance its survivability in carrier operations that are demanding and expose deck-based assets to a highly corrosive environment, people familiar with aircraft carrier operations said.
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The twin-engine Rafale M has been specifically designed to operate from 40,000-tonne class aircraft carriers. The defence acquisition council (DAC), India’s apex procurement body, on Thursday approved a proposal to buy 26 of these fighters for the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier: the 45,000-tonne INS Vikrant.
The Rafale M has an exceptionally strong airframe and undercarriage for aircraft carrier operations, it is made of advanced composite materials and corrosion resistant alloys, its components offer highest protection against rust, and the aircraft performance isn’t compromised in severe tropical environments, HT has learnt.
Landing on an aircraft carrier deck is a traumatic event for an aircraft as it is not cushioned and there is a lot of stress on the airframe, fuselage, engines and avionics, said former navy chief and veteran decorated aviator Admiral Arun Prakash (retd).
“Marine aircraft mounts have to be stronger to deal with the stress compared to shore-based aircraft. The metallurgy of marine fighters is also different as they operate in a corrosive environment,” Prakash added.
The fighter jets on board INS Vikrant, built at a cost of ₹ 20,000 crore at Cochin Shipyard, use the ski-jump to takeoff and are recovered by arrestor wires or what is known as STOBAR (short takeoff but arrested recovery) that induces massive stress on the aircraft. Twelve Russian-origin MiG-29Ks are likely to be deployed on INS Vikrant till the Rafale Ms join the naval fleet, the officials said.
The Rafale M edged out the American F/A-18 Super Hornet in a direct competition to equip the navy with 26 new deck-based fighters.
The air force and the naval versions of the Rafale have similar mission capabilities, and equipment commonality that makes training, maintenance and logistics support easier. The Indian Air Force operates 36 Rafale jets bought from France at a cost of ₹59,000 crore. The new fighters have sharpened the capabilities of the air force, with their advanced weaponry, high-tech sensors, superior radar for detection and tracking of targets, and the ability to carry an impressive payload.
The IAF Rafale weaponry includes Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, Mica multi-mission air-to-air missiles and Scalp deep-strike cruise missiles - weapons that allow fighter pilots to attack air and ground targets from standoff ranges. The Rafale M will additionally be equipped with the AM39 Exocet missile for anti-ship strikes.
The Rafale M can carry up to 9.5 tonnes of weapons, fuel tanks and pods on 13 external hardpoints (14 for the air force variant), and is capable of low-level, high-speed penetrations to evade enemy radar.
The Rafale M is deployed on the French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. The configuration of the payload, including weapons and fuel tanks, depends on the range of carrier-launched strike raids and factors in that a pilot landing back on the carrier in bad weather or at the end of a demanding mission may need more fuel.
Several refinements help the pilot trap (arrested landing of the aircraft) on board a carrier in safety, including a dedicated approach symbology in head-up display and an innovative and precise power management system, according to Dassault Aviation, which manufactures Rafale.
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The Rafale M fighters are being imported as an interim measure to meet the navy’s requirements until India develops its own twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF). The first prototype of TEDBF could make its maiden flight by 2026 and be ready for production by 2031.
INS Vikrant, which has an indigenous content of 76%, will operate an air wing consisting of 30 aircraft including the new fighters, Kamov-31 choppers, MH-60R multi-role helicopters and advanced light helicopters.
