In the wake of India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) clearing a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets from French defence manufacturer Dassault Aviation to boost the combat readiness of the Indian Air Force, reports have emerged that the Indian Navy may seek an additional order of Rafale Marine fighter jets.
Rafale-Marine (Rafale-M) is a powerful, advanced fighter jet designed to operate from aircraft carriers. Unlike regular fighter jets that take off from land, this aircraft can launch from and land on moving ships, even in tough sea conditions.
India signed, in April 2025, an agreement with France to procure 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets, valued at approximately ₹63,000 crore, including 22 single-seat jets and four twin-seat jets. The Indian Navy would be using these for missions like air defence, maritime strike, reconnaissance, and shore strikes.
According to the French daily La Tribune, India could be looking to procure 31 Rafale Marine fighter jets to be operated from INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
The order placed in April 2025 marked the first acquisition of the naval variant of the Rafale, making the country the first international operator of this model. The deal also covers pilot training, flight simulators, weapons, essential equipment, and long-term maintenance support. The defence ministry had then said the acqusition of Rafale-M jets will also improve the Navy’s ability to prevent adversaries from gaining maritime domain awareness, weakening their ability to provide targeting information to other platforms.
India signed, in April 2025, an agreement with France to procure 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets, valued at approximately ₹63,000 crore, including 22 single-seat jets and four twin-seat jets. The Indian Navy would be using these for missions like air defence, maritime strike, reconnaissance, and shore strikes.
According to the French daily La Tribune, India could be looking to procure 31 Rafale Marine fighter jets to be operated from INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
The order placed in April 2025 marked the first acquisition of the naval variant of the Rafale, making the country the first international operator of this model. The deal also covers pilot training, flight simulators, weapons, essential equipment, and long-term maintenance support. The defence ministry had then said the acqusition of Rafale-M jets will also improve the Navy’s ability to prevent adversaries from gaining maritime domain awareness, weakening their ability to provide targeting information to other platforms.
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