India, France sign $7.4 bn deal for 26 Rafale jets

India has signed a deal with France to acquire 26 Rafale fighter jets worth Rs63,000 crore ($7.4 billion) for its navy, the Union defense ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The India Navy, which will begin receiving delivery of the jets by 2029-30, will be the first such navy to deploy the Rafale M aircraft outside France.

The Rafale M is the naval version of the French-made Rafale fighter jet, designed specifically for aircraft carriers. The “M” stands for Marine (French for Navy). It has a stronger landing gear, tail hook, and reinforced structure to handle takeoffs and landings on aircraft carriers.

Defense secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Navy vice chief vice admiral K. Swaminathan attended the contract signing ceremony at the Nausena Bhavan in Delhi.

In July 2023, the ministry granted initial approval for acquiring the aircraft, which will be deployed on the INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya aircraft carriers.

These jets are likely to replace a fleet of Russian-made MiG 29Ks, military portal Defense News reported.

The deal with the French jet manufacturer includes transferring technology for integrating indigenous weapons on the Rafale M, the ministry statement said.

India is acquiring the 26 Canard Delta Wing Rafale Ms exactly nine years after procuring 36 Dassault Rafale aircraft in 2016.

These aircraft are currently in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Éric Trappier said the French jet manufacturer reaffirms its “unwavering determination to stand by the Indian side to contribute to the country’s expression of its sovereign power, strategic challenges, and ambitious vision of the future.”

Seven decades ago, in 1953, India had acquired Ouragan (Toofani) from Dassault, India’s first major French fighter acquisition.