Negotiations for €7 Billion Rafale-M Fighter Jet Procurement Finalized, Indian Navy Prioritizes Astra Mk1 and Meteor BVRAAM Missile Integration

India and France have concluded negotiations for the purchase of 26 Rafale-Marine (Rafale-M) fighter jets, a deal estimated to be worth around €7 billion (approximately $7.6 billion USD). A formal signing of the agreement is anticipated in April, coinciding with a visit from the French Defence Minister to India.

This procurement represents a vital move in bolstering the Indian Navy's air capabilities at sea. The advanced Rafale-M fighters are slated for deployment on India's aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. This will substantially increase the operational reach and effectiveness of these carriers, particularly within the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.

The Rafale-M is a specialized version of the Dassault Rafale, engineered specifically for operation from aircraft carriers. The procurement includes 22 single-seater Rafale-M aircraft, designed for both takeoff and landing on carrier decks and also includes four Rafale B trainer variant.

The Indian Navy's new Rafale-M jets will be equipped with the same advanced weaponry found on the Indian Air Force's existing fleet of 36 Rafale aircraft. This includes integration of the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) and the indigenously developed Astra Mk1 BVRAAM.

The Meteor missile, developed by MBDA, is widely considered one of the most capable air-to-air missiles in the world. It offers a "no-escape zone" significantly larger than that of older BVRAAMs, thanks to its ramjet propulsion system, giving it a range exceeding 100 kilometers.

The Astra Mk1, developed by India's DRDO, is a solid-fueled missile with a range also reported to be over 100 kilometers, and is designed for all-weather, day-and-night capability. The integration of both missiles provide flexibility on indigenous and foreign made missiles.

The combination of the Rafale-M's advanced radar and sensor suite, coupled with these long-range missiles, will significantly enhance the Indian Navy's ability to project power and maintain maritime dominance.

 

[Varaaah]

So, the naval pilots will not be able to exercise take-offs? Yeh kya buddhimani hai?

 

[Surfer]

$7Bln for only 26 4th-gen jets is just way too expensive and beyond insane.

 

[Ankit Singhal]

It is a deal to oblige France, no sense spending 7 billion euros for just 26 jets. Better to buy F35s instead or go for F18s...

 

[sujith sudhakaran]

LOL, they are OK with operating a CATOBAR aircraft on a ski-jump carrier, and all the payload capacity loss that comes with it, but won't consider LCA Navy because of one engine and low carrying capacity.

 

[subhadeep dutta]

So, the naval pilots will not be able to exercise take-offs? Yeh kya buddhimani hai?

We have a shore-based training facility for the navy with ramp jet structures for take-off training. Was mentioned by Commodore (Retd.) Arun Prakash a few days ago.

 

[The_rED_dEVIL]

LOL, they are OK with operating a CATOBAR aircraft on a ski-jump carrier, and all the payload capacity loss that comes with it, but won't consider LCA Navy because of one engine and low carrying capacity.

Please name a single-engine carrier-operable fighter jet in service...

Also, please name a carrier-capable jet that is more suited to India in today's geopolitical scenario.

And... I know payload and MTOW will be affected for STOBAR ops, do you have the specs for that? Just asking. Thanks

 

[Vijayakumar Natesan]

Please name a single-engine carrier-operable fighter jet in service...

Also, please name a carrier-capable jet that is more suited to India in today's geopolitical scenario.

And... I know payload and MTOW will be affected for STOBAR ops, do you have the specs for that? Just asking. Thanks

F-35C is a single-engine, carrier-based fighter plane. So is the F-35B, vertical take-off and landing fighter. In service with the USA and Britain. Now even with Japan.

 

[sujith sudhakaran]

Please name a single-engine carrier-operable fighter jet in service...

Also, please name a carrier-capable jet that is more suited to India in today's geopolitical scenario.

And... I know payload and MTOW will be affected for STOBAR ops, do you have the specs for that? Just asking. Thanks

There is the F-35. It's not that single engines can't be used in carriers; it's just that their thrust needs to be high enough. What we needed to do was fit an F414 into the NLCA, like the Gripen, which would give it enough thrust to carry almost 3T of payload on takeoff.

 

[The_rED_dEVIL]

There is the F-35. It's not that single engines can't be used in carriers; it's just that their thrust needs to be high enough. What we needed to do was fit an F414 into the NLCA, like the Gripen, which would give it enough thrust to carry almost 3T of payload on takeoff.

Ofc... But the F-35 is a 29-tonne class fighter, that too fifth-gen, and is not on offer to the IN. Tejas' 13.5t MTOW vs 3.5t payload is not suitable for high-demanding naval ops; it is suitable as carrier-capable trainers at most... Also, the IAF (for medium-class) and IN always have a tendency of going for twin-engine aircraft for better safety... What do you think?

 

[sujith sudhakaran]

Ofc... But the F-35 is a 29-tonne class fighter, that too fifth-gen, and is not on offer to the IN. Tejas' 13.5t MTOW vs 3.5t payload is not suitable for high-demanding naval ops; it is suitable as carrier-capable trainers at most... Also, the IAF (for medium-class) and IN always have a tendency of going for twin-engine aircraft for better safety... What do you think?

Our military mostly requires twin-engine fighters in the first place, so why did they make Tejas a single-engine jet? I know the Tejas was envisioned to replace MiG-21s, but we had requirements for 120-200 twin-engine fighters. So, logic would have it that we first develop a twin-engine fighter or develop both simultaneously.

 

[The_rED_dEVIL]

Our military mostly requires twin-engine fighters in the first place, so why did they make Tejas a single-engine jet? I know the Tejas was envisioned to replace MiG-21s, but we had requirements for 120-200 twin-engine fighters. So, logic would have it that we first develop a twin-engine fighter or develop both simultaneously.

For light fighters, a twin-engine configuration would reduce payload, and these are very complex designs. We could not go for those all at once, given the low budget, know-how, and resources.

 

[Chandrakanth Shetty]

We require at least 50 dummy Rafales to mislead the enemies.

 

[Renu Sri]

$7Bln for only 26 4th-gen jets is just way too expensive and beyond insane.

Do you have an alternative?

 

[neil]

So, the naval pilots will not be able to exercise take-offs? Yeh kya buddhimani hai?

There's no way it could have been done. Rafale M is a single-seater, and it doesn't have a two-seater version. Rafale A is the land-based single-seater for the Air Force, and Rafale B is a land-based twin-seater for the Air Force. So, the Navy is going to buy 4 units of Rafale B for training. Training will happen on a land base of the Navy. What else can we do? Maybe we can use the shore-based ramp facility at INS Hansa in Goa..? What else is possible?

 

[Krishnendu Chatterjee]

Our military mostly requires twin-engine fighters in the first place, so why did they make Tejas a single-engine jet? I know the Tejas was envisioned to replace MiG-21s, but we had requirements for 120-200 twin-engine fighters. So, logic would have it that we first develop a twin-engine fighter or develop both simultaneously.

The most successful fighter jet, the F-16, is single-engine. It has sold the most all over the world.

 

[Debalik]

LOL, they are OK with operating a CATOBAR aircraft on a ski-jump carrier, and all the payload capacity loss that comes with it, but won't consider LCA Navy because of one engine and low carrying capacity.

Listen - The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was started to develop a 4th Gen replacement for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 Bison, which is a 2nd Gen Interceptor.

The LCA Tejas Mk 1/1A is a direct result of that project - that is all there is about the LCA Tejas Program.The Tejas Mk 2 is still on the drawing board & its prototype is still yet to be unveiled - by the time it completes its flight testing in 2030-32, it would be already outdated in every aspect, if not outright obsolete.I am quite sure that both the Tejas Mk 2 & TEDBF are going to be eventually cancelled.AMCA-AF for the IAF & AMCA-N for the 70,000-ton IAC-lll aircraft carriers are the future cornerstone of Indian Airpower.Most probably, for the IAF - 220 Tejas Mk 1/1A (LCA), 36 Rafale F3R + 80 Rafale F5 (MRFA), 200 upgraded Su-30 MKI (HCA), 240-400 AMCA Mk1/Mk2 - this is going to be the fleet composition of the IAF in 2045.A sixth-gen Advanced Heavy Combat Aircraft would be developed to replace the Su-30 MKI in the 2050s.

For the IN - 26 Rafale-M + (26 more to replace the MiG-29K onboard INS Vikramaditya) & 80 AMCA-N for the 1st IAC-lll aircraft carrier - this is going to be the fleet composition of the IN in 2045.

 

[SuperSonic Stallion]

The most successful fighter jet, the F-16, is single-engine. It has sold the most all over the world.

Naval F-16 doesn't exist. The OP asked for single engined naval fighters.

 

[Skyfall]

Our military mostly requires twin-engine fighters in the first place, so why did they make Tejas a single-engine jet? I know the Tejas was envisioned to replace MiG-21s, but we had requirements for 120-200 twin-engine fighters. So, logic would have it that we first develop a twin-engine fighter or develop both simultaneously.

We are still struggling with a single-engine jet, and you want HAL to develop a twin-engine jet for an aircraft carrier?

 

[CCPSmasher]

So freaking expensive! 24 nos for $7 billion???? Some 56-inch-tongued people are gonna get rich soon! We could have bought 60+ F-35Bs with the same amount. Damn, boi!

 

[BCharlie]

Do you have an alternative?

Yes, make our own... TEJAS & AMCA. As F-35s will for sure come at double the price, with kill switch & serious conditions for operating them. We should, for the interim period, buy SU-57s at the lowest hard-negotiated prices with ToT, even 80% is good; in the meantime, keep working on our own product.

 

[Sandeep]

The price for these jets should tell people that they are using the latest technology, which will give us a major advantage. These are nuclear strike aircraft and are meant to destroy the enemy.

These are semi-stealth jets, which can be improved further with anti-radar paint, and we will be integrating them with the air force, which will allow us to use them even on land.