India is set to sign a Rs 63,000 crore defence deal today, April 28, to secure 26 Rafale Marine combat aircraft from France. The deal, which aims to strengthen India’s naval aviation, will see French Ambassador to India and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh representing their respective sides. While the French Defence Minister was initially scheduled to attend the signing in person, personal reasons led to the cancellation of the visit.
The signing will take place outside the Defence Ministry headquarters at South Block, with Defence Ministers from both nations attending remotely. The Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the deal earlier this month.
The Rafale Marine jets, set to be deployed on INS Vikrant, will replace the underperforming MiG-29K fighters, which have faced maintenance issues. The deal includes 22 single-seater and 4 twin-seater jets, along with extensive maintenance, logistical support, and training packages. This acquisition serves as a stopgap measure until the development of an indigenous carrier-borne fighter jet.
This deal adds to the 36 Rafale jets already operated by the Indian Air Force since a 2016 agreement, bringing the total number of Rafale aircraft in India to 62. The new fleet of Rafale M jets will significantly bolster India’s fleet of 4.5-generation fighter aircraft and support operations from its aircraft carriers.