India’s Strategic Partnership to Boost Indian Navy’s Air Power
April 28, 2025
In a significant enhancement to India’s naval capabilities, India and France recently confirmed a landmark defense deal for the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft. The deal, approximately ₹63,000 crore, is indicative of the deepening strategic relationship between India and France but also will provide India with increased operational capability, especially complementary for its aircraft carrier-based marine operations.
Key Details of the Rafale Marine Deal
The agreement was executed under a two-way defense dialogue and represents a significant milestone on India’s path to modernize its armed forces. The Rafale Marine jets being provided by France’s Dassault Aviation have been configured for operations from an aircraft carrier. The jets will be operating from the maritime domain and are designed to conduct multiple roles, such as air superiority, reconnaissance, and precision strikes.
There will also be a complete support package to include weapons, simulators, spares, crew training, and logistics support to enable operational sustainability.
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Strengthening India’s Naval Capabilities
It is anticipated that the Rafale Marine aircraft will be stationed aboard the INS Vikrant, India’s first domestic aircraft carrier. The Rafale Marine will provide the Indian Navy with a valuable manpower deployment in the disputed Indo-Pacific region and close a significant deficit in the fighter sector. This would improve India’s marine security and deterrence capabilities, according to defense analysts.
Deepening India-France Defense Ties
The agreement serves to consolidate a growing momentum of strategic collaboration between France and India, particularly in the area of military and security. The parties have worked together on a number of key defense projects, specifically the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.
As the global geopolitical landscape changes and evolves, such high-value defense packages consolidate India’s aspirations to develop the capability of defense forces it considers essential to secure operationally critical maritime regions.
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