SOURCE: AFI
On the sidelines of the Paris Air Show 2025, a high-level meeting between France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and representatives of the Indian Navy @indiannavy) marked the formal launch of the Rafale Marine programme for India. This milestone, announced on June 20, 2025, via posts on X, underscores India’s deepening defense ties with France and its adoption of the Dassault Rafale as a cornerstone of its air and naval forces.
With this development, India becomes the only country besides France to operate all three variants of the Rafale—single-seater (Rafale C), two-seater (Rafale B), and the carrier-based Rafale Marine (Rafale M)—cementing its long-term commitment to the 4.5-generation multirole fighter. The programme, valued at ?63,887 crore ($7.4 billion), will equip the Indian Navy with 26 Rafale M jets, enhancing its maritime strike capabilities amid growing regional challenges in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The formal launch of the Rafale Marine programme follows the signing of an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on April 28, 2025, between India and France for the procurement of 26 Rafale M jets, comprising 22 single-seater carrier-capable variants and four twin-seater trainer variants. The agreement, signed remotely by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, was finalized in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, and French Ambassador Thierry Mathou at Nausena Bhawan in Delhi. The deal includes training, simulators, weapons, and a five-year Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) support package, as well as additional equipment to enhance the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) existing fleet of 36 Rafales.
The Paris meeting, attended by senior DGA officials, Indian defense leadership, and Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier (@Dassault_OnAir), reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the two nations. Trappier emphasized the significance of the Rafale’s role in India, stating, “The Rafale Marine will provide the Indian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art capabilities and the Indian Navy will benefit from the experience of the French Navy, which already operates this aircraft.” He highlighted Dassault’s seven-decade-long collaboration with India, dating back to the supply of Toofani (Ouragan) fighters in the 1950s, and its commitment to India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative through technology transfers and local production.
The Rafale Marine programme is a critical step in modernizing the Indian Navy’s carrier-based aviation, replacing the aging and unreliable Russian-origin MiG-29K jets currently operating from INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. The Rafale M, designed for short takeoff but arrested recovery (STOBAR) operations, has been tailored for India’s carriers, which use ski-jump ramps and arrestor cables. In January 2022, the Rafale M demonstrated its compatibility with India’s Shore-Based Test Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa, outperforming its competitor, the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, in trials. The selection of the Rafale M in July 2023 by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Rajnath Singh, was driven by its operational versatility and 80% commonality with the IAF’s Rafale fleet, which reduces maintenance and logistics costs.
The 26 Rafale M jets, including 22 single-seaters for carrier operations and four twin-seater trainers for shore-based training, will be delivered between mid-2028 and 2030. The first India-specific Rafale M, incorporating modifications such as wingtip adjustments to fit INS Vikrant’s compact aircraft elevators, is expected to be showcased within 18 months of the contract signing. The deal also includes integration of indigenous weapons like the Astra Mk1 and Mk2 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAM) and the Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range (NASM-MR), aligning with India’s self-reliance goals. Additionally, the agreement mandates the establishment of a Rafale fuselage production facility and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) centers for engines, sensors, and weapons in India, expected to generate thousands of jobs and bolster Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
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