India, France sign Rs 63,000 crore deal to procure 26 Rafale-M fighters for Navy

New Delhi: India and France on Monday signed a Rs 63,000 crore Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the purchase of 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets, enhancing bilateral defence relations and India’s self-reliance drive in aerospace production. The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the purchase for the Indian Navy on April 9, 2025.

The deal, inked by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at Nausena Bhawan in the presence of Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and French Ambassador Thierry Mathou, includes the purchase of 22 single-seater Rafale-Marine fighters and four twin-seater trainers, as well as advanced weaponry, simulators, and a performance-based logistics package. The agreement also involves key upgrades to the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) current Rafale fleet, ensuring interoperability between the two forces.

One of the central features of the agreement is a strong Transfer of Technology (ToT) backbone, facilitating the indigenisation of weapon systems and the development of a local assembly line for fuselage production in Rafales.

Specialised Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) centres for engines, sensors, and armaments will be established in India, generating thousands of employment opportunities and increasing the level of MSME involvement.

Designed by Dassault Aviation, the Rafale-Marine is an air-proven, carrier-borne multirole fighter designed to excel in naval operations. The induction will equip India’s aircraft carriers—INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant—with a strong air power weapon. Deliveries are expected to commence by 2030, with Indian Navy personnel receiving sophisticated training in both France and India.

The Rafale-M has around 80 per cent systems commonality with the IAF’s Rafale fleet, making joint operations seamless, lowering lifecycle expenses, and allowing for common training and maintenance ecosystems. This interoperability will further greatly augment India’s maritime superiority in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a critical artery of global commerce and security.

In addition to supporting operational capabilities, the accord is set to spur India’s aerospace industry. Defence Secretary Singh reiterated that the partnership would “unlock new sources of revenue for Indian industries and cultivate a skilled workforce poised to take on next-generation aerospace challenges.”

Induction of the Rafale-M follows heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific, where India’s strategic need is to counterbalance China’s growing naval presence. Experts point to the aircraft’s powerful radar suites, Meteor beyond-visual-range missiles, and SCALP cruise missiles as major force multipliers, dramatically improving India’s sea-denial and maritime strike capabilities.

Designed for Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) operations, the Rafale-Marine has strengthened landing gear, arrestor hooks, foldable wings, and has been successfully flight-tested on ski-jump platforms, ensuring smooth compatibility with Indian carriers.

It possesses principal systems and AESA radar for enhanced target detection and tracking. SPECTRA electronic warfare suite provides state-of-the-art threat detection, jamming, and countermeasure capabilities. Additionally, improved sensor fusion for real-time battlefield awareness.

The aircraft will be equipped with Exocet AM39 missiles for naval strike, Meteor missiles for air superiority, and SCALP cruise missiles for deep-strike precision missions, with the ability to carry nuclear payloads.

Structural upgrades involve a 10-hour flight data recording system for detailed mission analysis and adaptation for integration with Russian-origin systems on Indian carriers.

Key to this is the arrangement facilitating deeper indigenous integration, with provisions for ToT paving the way for the adoption of Indian systems and weapons as well as domestic production of fuselages and MRO infrastructure in the future.

The Rafale-Marine’s induction should transform India’s maritime air capability with increased strike, fleet air defence, and reconnaissance capabilities. It will also strengthen India’s strategic presence throughout the Indo-Pacific and enhance interoperability with allied navies.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the agreement as a “milestone in our Indo-Pacific partnership”, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a “testament to our shared commitment to global peace and technological innovation”.

Experts point out that the agreement is a double achievement: strengthening India’s national security while driving a domestic defence industrial revolution.