CHENNAI: India and France finalised a Rs 63,000 crore agreement on Monday (28 April) for the acquisition of new Rafale-M fighter jets, during a meeting in the national capital between senior defence ministry officials and the French Ambassador to India.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had granted approval for this significant deal earlier in the month. Under the agreement, India will procure 26 marine variants of the Rafale fighter aircraft directly from France.

The Indian Navy selected the Rafale-M following a competitive evaluation process, which also considered the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. The Rafale was found to better meet India’s operational needs and offers the added advantage of interoperability with the Indian Air Force’s existing fleet of 36 Rafale-M jets.

These new aircraft will be equipped with advanced weaponry, including long-range air-to-air missiles, anti-ship weapons, and state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems. While the contract does not mandate production within India, French companies such as Dassault Aviation, Thales, and MBDA, all key players in the Rafale programme, are expected to collaborate with Indian firms for the local manufacture of components and subsystems.

The induction of Rafale-M fighters is seen as critical at this juncture, with both of the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers now operational. At present, they are equipped with the MiG-29K, which has faced maintenance challenges and is considered less capable against the demands of modern warfare technology.