Rafale Marine Jets: India has taken a big step to strengthen its naval power. On Monday, India and France signed a huge deal worth Rs 63,000 crore for the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets for the Indian Navy. These advanced jets will mainly operate from INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier.
Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh represented India at the signing event, with Navy Vice Chief Admiral K Swaminathan also present. The deal comes at a time when regional tensions are high, especially with Pakistan, making this agreement even more significant.
As part of the contract, India will get 22 single-seat Rafale-M fighter jets and 4 twin-seat trainer jets. The package also includes weapons, simulators, crew training, and a five-year performance-based logistics support. Deliveries will happen between 37 to 65 months, and India will first pay 15 percent of the total cost.
An official shared that all 26 jets should be delivered by 2031. These Rafale Marine jets are specially designed for maritime strike, air defence, and reconnaissance missions. Impressively, they can also deliver nuclear weapons if needed. The jets will be armed with powerful weapons like Exocet AM39 anti-ship missiles, Scalp cruise missiles, and Meteor air-to-air missiles with ranges up to 150 km.
Interestingly, the Rafale-M had beaten America’s F/A-18 Super Hornet after tough trials by the Indian Navy in 2022. The French jet had an advantage because the Indian Air Force (IAF) already uses 36 Rafale jets, making logistics and maintenance easier.
At present, the Indian Navy operates around 40 MiG-29K jets bought from Russia between 2009 and 2010. However, these aircraft have faced many serviceability issues. While India is working on its indigenous Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF), it is expected to take another decade to be ready. So, the Navy pushed hard for this Rafale-M purchase as an interim solution.
This deal is expected to give India’s Navy a strong boost at a crucial time, securing India’s maritime borders more effectively.
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