NEW DELHI: India and France are set to formally conclude the long-anticipated Rs 63,000-crore deal for 26 Rafale-M fighter jets next week, in a move aimed at significantly enhancing the Indian Navy’s maritime combat capabilities.
Originally scheduled to be signed during French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s visit to New Delhi, the agreement will now be finalised remotely on Monday due to the postponement of his trip for personal reasons.
Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and French Ambassador Dr Thierry Mathou are expected to formally announce the government-to-government (G2G) deal on Monday, which was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) earlier this month. G2G is a mode of defence procurement involving direct negotiation between the government of the importer country with that of the exporter country.
The procurement includes 22 single-seater and four twin-seater trainer aircraft. These carrier-capable fighters are intended to be deployed aboard INS Vikrant, the Navy’s indigenous aircraft carrier.
With the ageing Russian-origin MiG-29K fleet facing operational challenges, the Rafale-M jets will serve as a short-term solution until the indigenous Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) is ready for deployment.
India has been working on developing its own twin-engine deck-based fighters as a long-term solution to its need for carrier-based fighters. But since there are still some years before the aircraft is indigenously developed, the Navy has decided to go in for the acquisition to meet its requirement.
Designed for naval operations, Rafale-M jets are equipped with reinforced undercarriages and are compatible with the Indian Navy’s STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) system used on carriers. Aircraft launched from these carriers can operate far from the coastline, giving India a crucial strategic edge in the region.