Rafale-M successfully lands on INS Vikrant for the first time.
India ordered 26 fighters under a ₹63,000-crore deal.
The Navy faces technical challenges before full operational deployment.
The Navy’s plan to operate the French-made Rafale Marine fighter from India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant reached an important milestone on October 29, when the jet landed on the carrier successfully on its first attempt.
The Navy said on Friday that the trials are an important step towards bringing the fighter into active service, describing them as the "first steps towards operationalisation of the aircraft in the Indian Navy," the New Indian Express reported.
Before the successful landing on INS Vikrant, the Navy had started testing the Rafale-M a week earlier at INS Hansa in Goa. The base has a Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) that recreates a carrier's ski-jump ramp and arrestor wires.
The Rafale-M was put through a 12-day test at INS Hansa in January 2022, where it took off from a 283-metre ski-jump replica to demonstrate its suitability for Indian aircraft carriers.
It was competing against Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, which underwent its own tests at the facility in June 2022. The French fighter eventually emerged as the Navy's preferred choice.
The Navy shared footage of the successful landing, which took place under the supervision of Captain Ashok Rao, the commanding officer of INS Vikrant.
What is Rafale-M?
Built by the French company Dassault Aviation, the Rafale-M is designed specifically for aircraft carrier operations. It is the naval version of the Rafale fighter and is currently in service with the French Navy.
India placed an order for 26 of these fighters under a ₹63,000-crore agreement signed with France in April 2025. The deal covers 22 single-seat combat jets and four two-seat trainer aircraft. It also includes weapons, pilot training, flight simulators, essential equipment and maintenance support.
Deliveries are expected to start in late 2028. The Navy is also considering buying 31 more Rafale-M fighters to expand its carrier-based fleet.
Why It Matters For The Navy?
The induction of the Rafale-M will give the Navy a new fighter capable of supporting carrier-based missions, from defending naval formations to carrying out operations across the seas. Before that happens, the ongoing trials will determine what technical changes are needed and whether the aircraft can meet the demands of operating from INS Vikrant.
Operating from India's aircraft carriers, the Rafale-M will add another layer of protection against enemy aircraft and other aerial threats. The fighter will also allow the Navy to target hostile warships and monitor important maritime routes and waters.
For INS Vikrant, India's first aircraft carrier designed and built in the country, the integration of Rafale-M fighters marks another step in expanding its operational strength. Their induction will give the Navy a modern combat aircraft that can operate from both its carriers.
What Are The Major Challenges?
The Rafale presents a challenge because its wings cannot be folded. With a wingspan of 10.9 metres, the fighter is wider than INS Vikrant's aircraft lifts, which measure about 10 metres across.
These lifts carry jets between the hangar and the flight deck. They were originally built to handle Russian-made MiG-29K fighters, whose wings can fold to save space, according to the New Indian Express.
The Navy is working to address this difference. Changes to the carrier's lifts are being planned, while the Rafale-M's wingtip pylons may need to be removed when the aircraft is moved between decks. The carrier is also being fitted with specialised equipment to support the new fighters.
The main difference lies in how the two carriers launch their fighter jets. The Rafale-M was developed for France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, where catapults propel aircraft into the air before they return using arrestor wires.
INS Vikrant does not have a catapult system. Instead, it uses a ski-jump ramp to help fighters take off, while arrestor wires bring them to a stop during landing. This arrangement is known as STOBAR (short take-off but arrested recovery), while the French carrier uses CATOBAR (catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery).
The achievement is important because operating a fighter jet from an aircraft carrier is far more complicated than flying it from a conventional airbase. The aircraft must take off from a short runway, land on a moving ship, and operate within the limited space available on its deck.
MiG-29K fighters currently form the backbone of the Navy's carrier-based air combat fleet, operating from INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.
However, the Navy is looking to upgrade this capability with a more advanced fighter to meet its future operational needs, and the Rafale M could play an important role in that.
