Indian Navy To Get Rafale Fighter Jets From France, After IAF

The Indian Air Force recently acquired Rafale fighter aircraft from France. Now the Indian Navy is also going to acquire Rafale M, after rejecting American jet.

The Indian Navy is next in position to receive Rafale fighter aircraft from France after the Indian Air Force (IAF). 

The Rafale had previously been selected by the Indian Air Force (IAF) for its new squadron, and the Indian Navy is now planning to purchase the Rafale M.

The two nations may sign this agreement when French President Emmanuel Macron travels to India in March, according to French media.

It’s interesting to note that the Indian Navy chose the Rafale purchase over the American F/A-18 Super Hornet jet. The purchase of the Rafale M is being hailed as a turning point in India and France’s relationship.

According to defense insiders, the Indian Navy and France are ready to agree on a multi-billion dollar purchase agreement for 26 Rafale M aircraft.

Rafale M Deployment On INS Vikrant

Rafale’s manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, is certain that Rafale M would work well with the destroyer INS Vikrant of the Indian Navy. The militaries of Greece, Indonesia, and the UAE continue to operate Rafale M aircraft.

The American fighter plane F/A-18 Super Hornet was rejected by the Indian Navy, which is an important development. The Navy tested both fighter jets earlier this year. 

The Defence Ministry of India received a thorough report on this trial in December. At the Goa-based naval facility INS Hansa, both fighter planes underwent testing.

Why Did Indian Navy Select French Rafale M Instead of American Jet?

The Indian Navy thinks Rafale will much better serve its demands. 43 obsolete Russian MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB fighter planes are now in the Indian Navy’s fleet. 

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The Navy had numerous potential names for the aircraft, but the Rafale M and the F-18 ultimately won the race. 240 Rafale M planes are now in the French Navy. These jets have been produced by Dassault since 1986.

Both jets have already been put into service on cutting-edge aircraft carriers. Both jets are suitable for aircraft carriers with the CATOBARs system in such a scenario.

Both the more recent INS Vikrant and the more venerable INS Vikramaditya are currently available to the Indian Navy.

The Soviet Union’s INS Vikramaditya, an aircraft carrier of the Kyiv class, was upgraded in India. They are both STOBAR aircraft carriers, which are warships.