Cabinet clears Rs 63,000 crore deal to buy 26 Rafale fighter jets from France for Indian Navy

The deal includes 22 single-seater aircraft and four twin-seater variants, designed specifically for the maritime requirement of the Indian Navy as China increasingly flexes its muscle in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Rafale procurement will include weapons, simulator, spares, associated ancillary equipment, crew training and logistics support for the Indian Navy from the French government.

The 26 Rafale-M jets for the Navy, manufactured by Dassault Aviation, are expected to be delivered within 37 to 65 months after the final contract is signed in the coming weeks. The delivery of all the planes is scheduled to be completed by 2030-31, a senior official said.

The deal will also ensure logistics support and spares for the 36 Rafale fighter jets already inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2016 under an earlier Rs 59,000 crore deal with France. These Rafale jets comprise two squadrons in the IAF.

The first Rafale squadron is based at Ambala Air Force Station. The second Rafale squadron is based at Hasimara Air Force Station in West Bengal, near the China border. The Rafale squadrons are intended to enhance India's air power, in the eastern sector, to counter China, and also on the western front against Pakistan.

The French maritime fighter is a sturdy aircraft that incorporates design features to withstand the rough conditions involved in aircraft carrier operations in a highly corrosive environment. It is presently deployed to operate from the French Navy's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

The aircraft's naval variant Rafale-M will bring commonality with the IAF's fighters, creating advantages in training, maintenance and logistics support, the official said.

India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had earlier approved the Navy's proposal to buy the 26 Rafale M fighters earlier in accordance with the official process.