Rafale M of Indian Navy - Updates & Discussions

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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)

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This thread is a continuation of the Multi-Role Carrier-Borne Fighter for the Indian Navy thread.
 
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theprint.in

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 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
 
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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?
 
Zarion said:
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?
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Our fighters use a SDR that's a generation ahead. We use Rafael B-Net in all our frontline fighters.
 
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Zarion said:
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?
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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.


 
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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
 
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India to get all 26 Rafale-M jets by 2030 under Rs 63,887 crore deal inked with France
Rajat Pandit / TNN / Updated: Apr 28, 2025, 23:09 IST

India has finalized a significant deal with France, procuring 26 Rafale-Marine jets for approximately Euro 7 billion. Deliveries are scheduled from mid-2028 to 2030, enhancing the Indian Navy's capabilities, especially for aircraft carrier operations. This acquisition aims to counter China's growing naval presence in the Indian Ocean, providing a substantial boost to India's maritime air power.

NEW DELHI: India will get its first Rafale-Marine jet in mid-2028 and all 26 by 2030 under the mega Rs 63,887 crore (almost Euro 7 billion) deal inked with France on Monday for the omni-role fighters that will primarily operate from indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant’s deck.

The delivery of nine Rafale-M jets with their decidedly deadly weapons package in 2028, 12 in 2029 and 5 in 2030 will bolster Indian aircraft carrier operations in the Indian Ocean and beyond at a time when China ’s ever-expanding naval forays and hunt for logistical bases in the region have become a clear and present threat, officials told TOI.

“The Rafale-M is a carrier-borne combat-ready aircraft with proven operational capabilities. It will be a potent force multiplier, substantially boosting India’s air power at sea,” an official said.

These omni-role 4.5-generation maritime strike and reconnaissance jets will add to the 36 Rafales, which are also capable of delivering nuclear weapons, already inducted by the IAF under the Rs 59,000 crore contract inked in Sept 2016. They are deployed at the Ambala and Hasimara airbases to cater for the Pakistan and China fronts.

The two major Rafale deals make the French fighter the frontrunner in the long-pending project to manufacture 114 multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) with foreign collaboration in India, which was initially estimated to cost Rs 1.25 lakh crore and is now being fast-tracked, as reported by TOI earlier.

Apart from the inter-governmental agreement (IGA) on the Rafale-M jets, inked remotely by defence minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu, the aircraft supply protocol with fighter-manufacturer Dassault Aviation and weapons protocol with missile-maker MBDA were also signed here.

The exchange of documents took place in the presence of defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Navy vice chief Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and French ambassador Thierry Mathou, among others.

The direct acquisition of 22 single-seater Rafale-M jets and four twin-seater trainers includes training for Indian pilots and technicians, a simulator, associated equipment, weapons and five-year performance-based logistics. It also includes additional equipment for the existing 36 Rafales of the IAF.

The Rafale-M jets will be armed with long-range precision strike weapons like the IAF fighters. In addition to the 70-km range Exocet AM39 anti-ship missiles, they will have the over 300-km range `Scalp’ air-to-ground cruise missiles and the top-notch Meteor air-to-air missiles, which have a strike range of 120 to 150-km to take on enemy jets.

While there is no overall transfer of technology in the deal, the IGA includes the integration of indigenous weapons like the Astra air-to-air missiles and the naval short and medium-range anti-ship missiles (NASMs) being developed by DRDO with the Rafale-M fighters in the future.
It also includes setting up of a production facility for aircraft fuselage as well as MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facilities for engines, sensors and weapons in India. “The Rafale-M’s procurement will substantially enhance joint operational capability, besides optimizing training and logistics for both Navy and IAF,” the official said.

The Navy currently has only 40 of the 45 MiG-29K jets, inducted from Russia at a cost of $2 billion from 2009 onwards, to operate from the decks of its two over 40,000-tonne aircraft carriers, the older Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya and the new indigenous INS Vikrant. Moreover, the MiG-29Ks have also been dogged by poor serviceability and other problems over the years.

China, incidentally, already has three aircraft carriers, the 60,000-tonne Liaoning, the 66,000-tonne Shandong and the over 80,000-tonne Fujian, and is fast building more such warships with nuclear-propulsion.
 
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Ashwin said:
A few years ago, Indonesia ordered 42 Rafales for $8.1 billion. How are they going to justify $7.3 billion for 26 Rafale-M? Especially when we already have an established support infrastructure with airforce.

Where are the parliamentarians when we need them to question things like this? The last time Congress made noise was for the MQ-9B, for which we received details and explanations before signing the deal.
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Rafale M is a little bit costlier than C.
But, and mainly, in these 7.3 $billion deal there is :
-A new package of support for IAF Rafale.
-Weapons for IN and IAF.
-Training simulators for IN.
-Spares, test bench and probably the same king of support that was given to IAF Rafale (with a very high level of disponibility of the birds)
 
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Ankit Kumar said:
Would we be ordering another 20-30 Rafales then? Or maybe this time Super hornets ?
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Once you have a bird in your fleet, it's not clever to purchase another in the "same" league, specially for small Qty, with different supports.
And why ordering the L2 when you already have the L1 ?
IAF is very very keen with Rafale. So will be the IN. If there is another batch it will ba a Rafale one.

PS : SH18 line will soon be closed. That ends the debate if there remains a debate.
john0496 said:
I have read that in the deal some rafales will be two seats navalised rafales. Is it true ? a kind of rafale N come to life with the deal ? It could be the explanation for the price.
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No.
22 M and 4 B.
The navalised twin seats, the N, was studied but never ordered and never built as a prototyp.
 
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French kit is expensive. Iirc, the M-2000I UPG cost $42m a pop w/o engine replacement. In the case of the Rafale-Ms though, the cost of things like custom airframe mods (removable wingtips to fit the Vikrant's elevators) + 5 year PBL + weapons and training + local MRO + local weapons integration, etc. was bound to add up.
 
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Ankit Kumar said:
Agreed. I am not questioning the importance of Rafale M, but the method of its procurement.

We are a ~2700 USD per Capita economy with scare resources, we should be extremely prudent on how and what we spend on.

A more preferable method would have been ordering 36 more Rafales for IAF and 26 Rafales for IN together. Because this much investment for just 22 airframes is not justified with the Navy practically has 0 minesweepers, has 9 modern ASW capable helicopters, etc.

What happens if 2 years down the line IN gets a nod for another IAC 1. Would we be ordering another 20-30 Rafales then? Or maybe this time Super hornets ?
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It only makes sense if we want to replace our mig 29 with the typhoon and the Jaguar with the f-15EX.
 
randomradio said:
Cool. Now next up is a stopgap for 2 IAF squadrons before MRFA.
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I have the impression that the only disadvantage of doing “governments to governments” is that it's never enough to set up an assembly line in India (you need at least 100), but with the 26 we're setting up a fuselage production line, so maybe we'll go step by step with each batch they order, in which case the chances of the 40 have increased a lot.
  • 26 Marine => you start partial production.
  • +40 IAF (without tender) => you complete the local workload.
  • + maybe 74 remaining (to reach 114) later in two steps => you would then have enough to economically justify a full FAL.
As a result, the chances of going G2G fast have increased considerably: by gradually installing industrial capacity, India avoids wasting time and does not abandon its objective of industrial sovereignty. The manufacture of fuselages for the 26 Marines paves the way, making the G2G contract for 40 IAF more attractive and more likely than before.
 
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Speedster1 said:
French kit is expensive. Iirc, the M-2000I UPG cost $42m a pop w/o engine replacement. In the case of the Rafale-Ms though, the cost of things like custom airframe mods (removable wingtips to fit the Vikrant's elevators) + 5 year PBL + weapons and training + local MRO + local weapons integration, etc. was bound to add up.
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Probably.
But the quality was found more attractive than price because it wins in IAF and in IN. And probably twice in the IAF case.
SH18 was supposed to be a little bit cheaper.
 
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