On 28 April 2025, the Government of India and the Government of France officially signed a Rs 64,000-crore (about USD 7.4 billion) deal for the purchase of 26 Rafale-Marine (Rafale-M) fighter jets to strengthen the Indian Navy (IN)’s power at sea.
- Out of the 26 jets, 22 will be single-seat fighter planes and 4 will be twin-seat trainer aircraft. They will mainly operate from India’s first indigenous carrier, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant.
- The contract was signed during a virtual event in the presence of Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary, Ministry of Defence ( MoD), Government of India (GoI) and Thierry Matho, Defence Minister of France.
Background:
i.The procurement process began in 2023 when Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi visited France for the Bastille Day celebrations.
ii.The procurement of 26 Rafale Marine (M) fighter jets by India from France was officially approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on April 9, 2025.
Key Points:
i.It is a Government-to-Government (G2G) deal, meaning that the two countries’ governments directly discussed and finalized the agreement, without involving private parties.
ii.India will transfer the agreed payment to the French government. After that, different activities will start, such as setting up a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India.
- Training for IN pilots will also be arranged to match the delivery schedule of the aircraft.
iii.Deliveries of the Rafale M jets are scheduled to commence by the end of 2029 and are expected to be completed by 2031. Before the delivery, aircraft inspections will be done to make sure they meet IN-specific needs.
iv.The IN will also receive additional equipment like weapon systems and spare parts from Dassault Aviation, a company based in France.
About Rafale-M jets:
Rafale-M jets are designed by France based Dassault Aviation S.A. These new Rafale-M jets are tough and specially designed for naval missions. They can easily handle carrier take-offs and landings.
i.These Rafale-M jets are specially built to take off from aircraft carriers that have a ski-jump. This fits perfectly with the STOBAR system (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) used on India’s carriers like INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
iii.The Rafale-M jets will serve as a quick solution until India finishes making its own Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF), which is still under development.
Note: The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently operates a fleet of 36 Dassault Rafale fighter jets, which were inducted in 2020. These aircraft are stationed at two strategically significant airbases: Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana and Hasimara Air Force Station in West Bengal(WB).
About France:
President– Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister (PM)– François Bayrou
Capital– Paris
Currency– Euro (EUR)
