A French Navy Rafale-M fighter jet has successfully landed on India’s indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on its first attempt, marking a significant milestone in India’s efforts to integrate French combat aircraft into its naval aviation capabilities.
The successful landing, followed by a ski-jump take-off, took place on October 29 aboard the 45,000-tonne aircraft carrier, the Indian Navy announced. The development represents an important step towards introducing the French-designed Rafale Marine into India’s carrier-based combat operations.
“The ongoing trials mark the first steps towards operationalization of the aircraft in the Indian Navy,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The trials are part of India’s broader effort to modernise its naval aviation fleet and strengthen the operational capabilities of its two aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. The integration of the Rafale-M is expected to provide the Indian Navy with a considerably more advanced multirole fighter capability as it seeks to replace its ageing MiG-29K aircraft.
India signed a contract with France in April 2025 to purchase 26 Rafale-M fighters for approximately $7.5 billion. The agreement includes 22 single-seat combat aircraft and four twin-seat trainer variants. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2028-29.
Once inducted, the aircraft will operate from both INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously designed and constructed aircraft carrier, and INS Vikramaditya, which was originally built in the Soviet Union and subsequently acquired and modernised by India.
The Rafale-M is expected to supplement and eventually replace the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K fleet, which has faced operational and maintenance challenges. Its introduction will give the Indian Navy access to a modern multirole fighter capable of conducting air defence, maritime strike, reconnaissance and other complex missions.
Before beginning carrier-based trials, the Rafale-M underwent compatibility testing at the Shore-Based Test Facility (SBTF) in Goa. The facility replicates the ski-jump configuration used by Indian aircraft carriers, allowing aircraft to demonstrate their ability to take off under conditions similar to those encountered aboard operational carriers.
The trials are particularly important because India’s aircraft carriers employ a different launch-and-recovery system from France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
France operates a catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) system, which uses catapults to launch aircraft from the carrier deck. In contrast, India’s INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya use the short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) system, in which aircraft accelerate along the flight deck and use a ski-jump ramp to gain additional lift before taking off.
The successful ski-jump take-off by the Rafale-M demonstrates its ability to operate within India’s carrier configuration, an essential requirement for its future deployment.
However, aircraft integration involves more than demonstrating take-off and landing capabilities. Indian naval officials have also indicated that minor modifications to aircraft elevators may be necessary to accommodate the Rafale-M’s distinctive delta-wing configuration within the carrier’s hangar and aircraft-handling arrangements.
The Rafale-M was originally developed for the French Navy’s carrier operations, but adapting it to India’s STOBAR carriers requires careful evaluation of aircraft handling, deck operations, maintenance requirements and operational procedures.
The October 29 landing is therefore an important demonstration of compatibility, although further testing and integration work will be required before the aircraft becomes fully operational with the Indian Navy.
The naval acquisition is part of a much broader defence relationship between India and France, with the Rafale emerging as one of the central components of India’s military modernisation programme.
The Indian Air Force already operates land-based Rafale fighters, which were acquired under an earlier agreement with France. India is also considering a potential additional purchase of 114 Rafale aircraft for the Air Force, a proposal that, if approved, could make India the largest Rafale operator outside France.
The naval acquisition will further deepen India’s dependence on French combat aviation technology while strengthening long-term defence cooperation between the two countries.
Beyond the Rafale programme, India and France are also exploring cooperation on next-generation combat aviation technologies, including the possibility of Indian participation in discussions surrounding Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a sixth-generation fighter programme being developed by France, Germany and Spain.
For France, the Indian market represents an important strategic and industrial partnership. For India, the acquisition offers access to advanced combat aircraft while supporting its broader ambition to develop a more capable indigenous defence industry.
Interestingly, the Rafale-M has a history of operating in the Arabian Sea during periods of heightened military tension between India and Pakistan.
In 2002, at the height of military tensions between the two South Asian neighbours, French Rafale-M fighters operating from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle conducted combat air patrol missions in the Arabian Sea.
According to a report published by the French daily Libération, French naval aircraft established an aerial buffer between India and Pakistan for approximately ten days during the standoff.
“For the first time, France’s new combat aircraft, the hugely expensive Rafale, carried out missions of ‘combat air patrol’ from its base on board the newly refurbished aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle,” the newspaper reported.
The French fighters operated along the Indian and Pakistani coastlines, helping monitor the airspace and discourage potentially dangerous military movements.
Military experts quoted in the report described the aircraft as having effectively “neutralized” the zone through their presence.
Armed with air-to-air missiles, the Rafales reportedly conducted several two-hour patrol missions each day. They operated alongside American Navy F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornets, while US Navy E-2C Hawkeye airborne early-warning aircraft provided additional maritime and aerial surveillance.
The report noted that the presence of French fighters helped prevent Indian and Pakistani military aircraft from using the sea route to conduct incursions into each other’s territory.
The deployment took place during the wider India-Pakistan military confrontation following the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, when tensions between the two countries brought them close to another major conflict.
French naval histories also record that Rafale fighters conducted multiple patrols near the India-Pakistan maritime frontier in June 2002 while Charles de Gaulle was operating in the Arabian Sea.
The French carrier group’s deployment was part of the broader Mission Héraclès, which supported international military operations in Afghanistan. However, its presence in the Arabian Sea coincided with the India-Pakistan confrontation, giving the French Navy an opportunity to demonstrate its ability to maintain a sustained military presence far from European waters.
The episode was among the Rafale Marine’s early operational deployments and illustrated the strategic value of carrier-based combat aviation in a sensitive regional security environment.
There is another important aspect of the 2002 deployment: the Rafale-M fighters operating from Charles de Gaulle were early production aircraft built to the F1 standard.
At the time, the Rafale was still a relatively new combat aircraft entering operational service with the French military. Its initial F1 configuration was primarily designed for air-to-air combat and fleet air defence.
The F1-standard Rafale-M could carry air-to-air missiles and conduct combat air patrols, making it suitable for protecting the aircraft carrier and monitoring surrounding airspace. However, it did not yet possess the full air-to-ground strike capabilities associated with later versions of the aircraft.
Subsequent upgrades significantly expanded the Rafale’s operational capabilities.
The F2 standard introduced important air-to-ground capabilities, allowing the aircraft to undertake strike missions in addition to air-defence operations. The later F3 standard further expanded its multirole capabilities, including the integration of additional weapons and more sophisticated mission systems.
These developments transformed the Rafale from an aircraft initially focused on air superiority and fleet protection into a comprehensive multirole combat platform capable of conducting air-to-air combat, precision ground attacks, maritime strike and reconnaissance missions.
During the 2002 deployment, however, the early F1-standard Rafales were primarily tasked with maintaining airspace security and conducting combat air patrols. Their mission did not require the full range of strike capabilities that later versions would acquire.
The successful landing of the Rafale-M on INS Vikrant carries significance beyond the completion of an aircraft compatibility milestone.
India is seeking to strengthen its ability to protect its maritime interests across the Indian Ocean, where growing strategic competition and expanding naval deployments have increased the importance of aircraft carrier operations.
A modern carrier-based fighter provides a naval force with the ability to establish air superiority, defend its fleet, monitor maritime approaches and conduct precision strikes without depending entirely on land-based airfields.
The Rafale-M’s integration will give the Indian Navy access to a proven multirole combat aircraft with advanced sensors, weapons and electronic warfare capabilities.
The contrast between its early deployment in the Arabian Sea in 2002 and its planned future service with the Indian Navy is particularly notable. More than two decades ago, French Rafale-M fighters operated from Charles de Gaulle to help maintain a stabilising military presence during an India-Pakistan confrontation. India is now preparing to introduce the same aircraft family into its own carrier strike groups.
The October 29 landing on INS Vikrant is an important first step in that transition. Once the 26 aircraft are delivered and fully integrated, they are expected to become a central component of India’s naval air power, strengthening its ability to project military capability across the strategically important Indian Ocean region.
