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 naval combat aircraft into its carrier-based aviation fleet.
The landing, followed by a ski-jump take-off, took place on October 29 aboard the 45,000-tonne aircraft carrier, the Indian Navy said. The trials represent an important step towards operationalising the Rafale-M (Marine) aircraft for India’s naval aviation requirements.
“The ongoing trials mark the first steps towards operationalization of the aircraft in the Indian Navy,” the Indian Navy said in a statement, describing the development as a significant achievement in the integration of the French-designed fighter with India’s indigenous carrier platform.
The successful demonstration is particularly important because INS Vikrant uses a short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) configuration, which differs from the catapult-assisted system employed by France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
The Rafale-M was originally designed to operate from the French carrier, which uses catapults to launch aircraft. India’s carriers, by contrast, rely on a ski-jump ramp to assist aircraft during take-off, followed by arrested recovery using landing cables.
The successful landing and subsequent ski-jump take-off demonstrate that the aircraft can operate within the basic requirements of India’s carrier aviation configuration, although further testing and integration work will be necessary before the fighter enters operational service.
India signed a contract with France in April 2025 to procure 26 Rafale-M fighters for the Indian Navy in a deal valued at 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.
The aircraft will operate from both INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously designed and constructed aircraft carrier, and INS Vikramaditya, the Russian-origin carrier currently serving in the Indian Navy.
The Rafale-M acquisition is intended to strengthen India’s carrier-based air combat capabilities and gradually replace its ageing MiG-29K fleet, which has experienced availability and maintenance challenges.
The MiG-29K has been the backbone of India’s carrier-based fighter operations for years, but the induction of the Rafale-M will provide the Navy with a more modern multirole combat aircraft equipped with advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems and precision-guided weapons.
Before the latest carrier trials, the Rafale-M underwent compatibility assessments at the Shore-Based Test Facility in Goa. The facility replicates the ski-jump configuration used by Indian aircraft carriers and allows naval aircraft to undergo take-off and landing evaluations without requiring an operational carrier.
Such testing is essential because carrier-based fighters face significantly different operational demands from land-based aircraft. They must withstand repeated arrested landings, operate within restricted deck spaces and maintain the ability to launch with varying fuel and weapons configurations.
There may also be some engineering adjustments required to accommodate the aircraft within India’s carrier infrastructure. In particular, officials have indicated that minor modifications to aircraft elevators could be necessary to accommodate the Rafale-M’s delta-wing configuration.
The successful trial on INS Vikrant therefore represents an important technical achievement, although it does not mean that the aircraft has completed its full qualification programme.
The induction of the Rafale-M is expected to significantly improve India’s ability to deploy air power across the Indian Ocean Region.
Aircraft carriers are central to India’s maritime strategy, providing the Navy with the ability to conduct air operations far from the country’s coastline without depending entirely on overseas airbases or access agreements with other countries.
INS Vikrant, commissioned in September 2022, represents a major advancement in India’s domestic warship-building capabilities. With a displacement of approximately 45,000 tonnes, the carrier was designed to operate fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters using the STOBAR configuration.
INS Vikramaditya, meanwhile, was acquired from Russia and remains an important component of India’s carrier strike capability.
Operating the Rafale-M from both carriers would provide the Indian Navy with a common, advanced fighter platform and improve interoperability with the Indian Air Force, which already operates land-based Rafale aircraft.
The Rafale is manufactured by French defence company Dassault Aviation and is available in several configurations, including the land-based Rafale and the naval Rafale-M.
The naval version incorporates structural reinforcement, a strengthened landing gear system and a tailhook to withstand the stresses associated with carrier operations. It also features modifications required for operations in the demanding maritime environment.
The aircraft can perform air superiority, interception, reconnaissance and strike missions, giving the Indian Navy a multirole platform capable of supporting different phases of carrier operations.
The Rafale-M agreement is part of a broader expansion of defence cooperation between India and France.
India’s Air Force already operates Rafale fighters, and the aircraft has become an important component of its combat aviation capabilities. The Indian government has also considered a potential additional procurement of 114 Rafale aircraft for the Air Force.
If the proposed acquisition proceeds, India could become the largest Rafale operator outside France, further strengthening its defence-industrial and operational relationship with Paris.
The two countries are also exploring cooperation in advanced combat aviation technologies, including discussions related to the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), France’s sixth-generation fighter programme developed in cooperation with Germany and Spain.
Although India’s potential participation in such a programme remains a subject of longer-term defence and technological discussions, the Rafale partnership provides an established foundation for cooperation in military aviation.
For France, the Indian market is strategically important. India is not only a major customer for French defence equipment but also an increasingly significant partner in the Indo-Pacific, where both countries have overlapping interests in maritime security, freedom of navigation and regional stability.
The Rafale-M acquisition will also deepen the operational relationship between the two navies, particularly in carrier aviation, maritime surveillance and joint exercises.
Interestingly, French naval Rafales had already operated in the Arabian Sea during a period of heightened military tension between India and Pakistan in 2002.
The deployment took place when the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was operating in the region as part of the broader Mission Héraclès, which supported international military operations in Afghanistan.
The presence of the French carrier group coincided with the India-Pakistan military standoff following the December 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament.
According to a report published by the French daily *Libération*, French Rafale-M fighters conducted combat air patrols near the Indian and Pakistani coastlines for approximately ten days during the crisis.
“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 report said.
The aircraft reportedly flew several daily two-hour patrol missions over the Arabian Sea, alongside American F-14 Tomcats and F/A-18 Hornets deployed by the US Navy.
American E-2C Hawkeye airborne early-warning aircraft also operated in the region, providing aerial and maritime surveillance capabilities.
According to the *Libération* report, the French fighters helped establish a buffer zone between the two countries by maintaining a visible air presence over the maritime approaches.
“With their dissuasive presence, the Rafales prevented Indian and Pakistani fighter planes from using the sea route to carry out incursions into each other’s territory,” the report noted.
The deployment demonstrated how carrier-based combat aircraft could contribute to regional deterrence and crisis management without becoming directly involved in the confrontation.
French naval histories also record that Rafale fighters conducted several patrols near the India-Pakistan border in June 2002 while Charles de Gaulle was operating in the Arabian Sea.
The deployment was among the early operational missions of the Rafale-M and demonstrated France’s ability to project naval air power far beyond European waters.
The Rafale-M aircraft deployed aboard Charles de Gaulle in 2002 were early-production versions built to the F1 standard.
At that stage, the Rafale was still a relatively new combat aircraft, and the F1 configuration was primarily designed for air-to-air missions.
These early aircraft could carry air-to-air missiles and conduct combat air patrols, interception and air-defence missions. However, they did not yet possess the full air-to-ground strike capabilities that would become a defining feature of later Rafale configurations.
The F2 and F3 standards subsequently introduced increasingly advanced multirole capabilities, including precision bombing, air-to-ground missile employment and more complex strike missions.
The F2 standard expanded the aircraft’s ability to undertake ground-attack operations, while the F3 configuration further developed its multirole capabilities, allowing it to perform a broader range of combat missions.
Consequently, the Rafales deployed during the 2002 India-Pakistan confrontation were primarily tasked with maintaining air superiority and conducting patrol operations rather than launching offensive strikes.
Their mission was nevertheless strategically significant. The aircraft provided a visible military presence, supported maritime and aerial surveillance and contributed to efforts to prevent the escalation of military tensions over the Arabian Sea.
The episode also highlighted the importance of aircraft carriers in projecting military influence during regional crises.
More than two decades later, the same French-designed naval fighter is moving towards integration with India’s own carrier fleet.
The successful landing of the Rafale-M on INS Vikrant represents a notable development in the evolution of India’s naval aviation.
In 2002, French Rafales operating from Charles de Gaulle demonstrated the ability of carrier-based fighters to maintain a strategic presence in the Arabian Sea during a regional crisis.
Today, India is preparing to acquire and operate the same aircraft from its own aircraft carriers, significantly expanding its capacity to conduct sustained naval air operations.
The transition will require further testing, technical integration, pilot training, maintenance preparation and weapons certification before the Rafale-M becomes fully operational.
However, the October 29 demonstration provides an important indication that the French naval fighter can be adapted to India’s distinctive ski-jump carrier configuration.
For the Indian Navy, the programme is not simply about replacing the MiG-29K. It is also about developing a more capable carrier strike force at a time when maritime competition across the Indo-Pacific is intensifying.
The successful trial brings India one step closer to operating an advanced French naval fighter from an aircraft carrier built at home, combining foreign combat aviation technology with the country’s expanding indigenous naval capabilities.
