I don't think so. Testing and certification of a new platform on a carrier for an order of 4 aircrafts?
It cost € 370 Million: The nose gear for the Rafale M and the nose gear for the Rafale C or B can be fitted to both types of aircraft.
There are only two versions of the Rafale:
- The Rafale B
- The Rafale M
Those two seaters are trainers for the STBF . They won't be carrier based.
Yes I know, but I explain the relatively low price.
India, France to ink their largest ever defence deal on April 28.
I read this : "The deal includes 22 single-seater Rafale M fighters and four twin-seater variants, all configured for carrier operations."
source :
Eurasian Times
Don't depend of faulty sources. There is no twin seat carrier capable Rafale.
Now, we should change the thread to Rafale-M of Indian Navy
Rafale Marine contract signed for India
The Inter-Governmental Agreement between France and India was signed today, in the presence of Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, for the acquisition by India of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft to equip the Indian Navy.
©Dassault Aviation - C. Cosmao
(Saint-Cloud, April 28, 2025) - The Inter-Governmental Agreement between France and India was signed today, in the presence of Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, for the acquisition by India of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft to equip the Indian Navy.
This contract follows the announcement, in July 2023, of the selection of the Rafale Marine, for which the Indian Navy will be the first user outside France, following an international consultation. It confirms the Indian authorities' satisfaction with the aircraft's capabilities, and their desire to broaden the spectrum of its operational use.
This new acquisition testifies to the importance of the strategic relationship between India and France, and the recognition of the Rafale as an essential vector of national sovereignty.
It honors Dassault Aviation's commitment to meeting the operational needs of the Indian forces since the Toofany entered service seven decades ago, and its determination, through its significant contribution to the “Make in India” policy and the “Skill India” initiative, to make its presence in India a success in the service of Indian interests.
The Rafale Marine will provide the Indian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art capabilities, and the Indian Navy will benefit from the experience of the French Navy, which already operates this aircraft. Together with the 36 Rafales already in service with the Indian Air Force, the Rafale Marine will play an active role in guaranteeing the exercise of national sovereignty and consolidating India's role as a major international power.
“On behalf of Dassault Aviation and its partners, I would like to thank the Indian authorities, with whom we have been working for over 70 years, for their confidence, and reaffirm our unshakeable determination to stand by their side to help India express its sovereign power, its strategic challenges and its ambitious vision of the future”, declared Éric Trappier.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
The Inter-Governmental Agreement between France and India was signed today, in the presence of Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, for the acquisition by India of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft to equip the Indian Navy.
©Dassault Aviation - C. Cosmao
(Saint-Cloud, April 28, 2025) - The Inter-Governmental Agreement between France and India was signed today, in the presence of Éric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, for the acquisition by India of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft to equip the Indian Navy.
This contract follows the announcement, in July 2023, of the selection of the Rafale Marine, for which the Indian Navy will be the first user outside France, following an international consultation. It confirms the Indian authorities' satisfaction with the aircraft's capabilities, and their desire to broaden the spectrum of its operational use.
This new acquisition testifies to the importance of the strategic relationship between India and France, and the recognition of the Rafale as an essential vector of national sovereignty.
It honors Dassault Aviation's commitment to meeting the operational needs of the Indian forces since the Toofany entered service seven decades ago, and its determination, through its significant contribution to the “Make in India” policy and the “Skill India” initiative, to make its presence in India a success in the service of Indian interests.
The Rafale Marine will provide the Indian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art capabilities, and the Indian Navy will benefit from the experience of the French Navy, which already operates this aircraft. Together with the 36 Rafales already in service with the Indian Air Force, the Rafale Marine will play an active role in guaranteeing the exercise of national sovereignty and consolidating India's role as a major international power.
“On behalf of Dassault Aviation and its partners, I would like to thank the Indian authorities, with whom we have been working for over 70 years, for their confidence, and reaffirm our unshakeable determination to stand by their side to help India express its sovereign power, its strategic challenges and its ambitious vision of the future”, declared Éric Trappier.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
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India-France sign mega deal for 26 Rafale fighters, integration of Astra missile & a fuselage facility
Delivery of these aircraft would begin in 2028, 3 years from the date of contract, and will be completed by 2030.
theprint.in
- $8 billion for 22 carrier-based Rafale-M and 4 shore-based Rafale B
- Price includes Training, Simulators, Weapons & 5-year PBL contract
- Facility for production of the fuselage will be set up in India
- Local MRO facility for engines, weapons & sensors
- Astra Mk-1 BVR missiles will be integrated onto Indian Rafales
Safe to assume these birds would be of the latest F4.1 standard. The $7.5B price tag reportedly includes upgrades for IAF airframes too. This means the F3Rs are likely also being brought up to F4 std.
VCNS is my cousemate from NDA and Navy.
Does anyone know whether rafales have a different sdr like link 16 or they use link 16? + Is that sdr a collaborative work or an exclusive development by France and can the rest of the indian fighter aircrafts communicate with rafale?
Our fighters use a SDR that's a generation ahead. We use Rafael B-Net in all our frontline fighters.
The IN has its own datalink system called Link-2 that connects all its assets and shore stations. They plan to eventually switch to an indigenous SDR developed by WESEE and BEL.
India has signed an order for 26 additional Rafale aircraft for its naval aviation
opex360.com/2025/04/28/On the sidelines of the July 14, 2023 celebrations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed that the Indian Navy had selected the Rafale Marine (RFM) as part of its MRCBF (Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters) program, which initially targeted fifty-seven carrier-based multi-role combat aircraft capable of being deployed from an aircraft carrier in both STOBAR (with a springboard, editor's note) and CATOBAR (catapults and arresting lines) configurations. This came at the expense of Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet.
With the MRCBF's target having been reduced to twenty-six aircraft, contract negotiations began immediately. And, after completing the various stages of the Indian Ministry of Defense's complicated procurement process, the intergovernmental agreement was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Mr. Modi, earlier this month. All that remained was to sign the order. This has just been done.
"The Indian and French governments have signed an intergovernmental agreement for the acquisition of 26 Rafale aircraft [22 single-seaters and four two-seaters] for the Indian Navy. This includes training, a simulator, associated equipment, performance-based armament and logistics. It also provides for additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF)," the Indian Ministry of Defense announced on April 28.
According to local press reports, the contract is worth $7.41 billion (approximately €6.5 billion). In line with the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-Reliant India) program and the "Make in India" policy, it includes a technology transfer, including the establishment on Indian soil of a production unit dedicated to the Rafale fuselage and facilities for engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul. "This new acquisition demonstrates the importance of the strategic relationship between India and France, and the recognition of the Rafale as an essential vector of national sovereignty," commented Dassault Aviation, which, in a press release, reiterated its commitment to "meeting the operational needs of the Indian forces since the Toofany [MD 450 Ouragan, editor's note] entered service seven decades ago," as well as its determination, through its significant contribution to the "Make in India" policy and the "Skill India" initiative, to make its presence in India a success in serving Indian interests.
India becomes the first country to export the Rafale Marine. The twenty-two aircraft ordered will replace the Russian-designed MiG-29K, which have a high attrition rate and low availability, making their maintenance in operational condition (MOC) difficult to ensure.
"The Rafale-Marine shares similarities with the Rafale currently operated by the IAF. "Its acquisition will significantly strengthen our operational capabilities, while pooling training and logistics between the Indian Navy and the IAF. Its entry into service will add a powerful force multiplier to the Indian Navy's aircraft carriers, thereby significantly strengthening the country's naval air power," the Indian Ministry of Defense explained. /end