The Indian Navy is ready to sign a deal for 26 Rafale-M fighter jets in the next two months, according to Navy Chief Admiral DK Tripathi. These fighter jets will be used on the INS Vikrant, which is India's first aircraft carrier built in India.

After extensive testing in Goa, the Rafale-M was chosen over Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet because it better met the Navy’s needs. Once the deal is confirmed, India will be the first country to buy the naval version of the Rafael. This version of the Rafale has already been sold to countries like Egypt, Qatar, Greece, and India for the Air Force.

INS Vikrant and Future Naval Aviation

INS Vikrant has already tested aircraft takeoffs and landings, including with the MiG-29K and the Indian-made LCA Navy. However, the Navy decided not to use the LCA Navy as a regular carrier fighter. Instead, they will keep it as a test aircraft to show how the technology works.

The Navy plans to use the Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) as its main fighter jet in the future. This plane is being specially designed for aircraft carriers and should start flying by 2026. The Navy plans to build up to 100 of these jets. However, until the TEDBF is ready, the Rafale-M jets will be used to keep the Navy’s air power strong.

In addition to the Rafale-M jets, the Navy is also set to finalize a deal for three more Scorpene-class submarines. India already has five of these submarines, and the sixth one, named Vagsheer, is currently being tested at sea. The new submarines will help keep the production of these submarines going in India. They will also be upgraded with special air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems, allowing them to stay underwater for longer and operate more secretly.

Focus on modernization and strengthening capabilities

Both the Rafale-M jets and the Scorpene-class submarine deals show that the Navy is working to improve its current abilities and plan for the future. Even though the project for six larger submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP) is still being discussed, these new acquisitions show that the Navy is focused on expanding and upgrading its fleet.