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India cleared a ₹63,000 crore defence deal to acquire 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets from France.
The deets: under this agreement, the Navy will receive 22 single-seater and 4 twin-seater Rafale-M jets from Dassault Aviation. The package includes five years of performance-based logistics, spares, and compatibility upgrades for the 36 Rafale jets already flying with the Indian Air Force.
The Rafale-Ms, tailored for aircraft carriers, will be deployed on INS Vikrant—India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier.
What’s new: the jets will bring mid-air refuelling systems allowing up to 10 jets to refuel each other, along with ground support gear and upgraded software.
That means better tech sharing and operational synergy across services.
Why it matters: the deal ensures interoperability between India’s air and naval forces, especially in the Indo-Pacific, where maritime threats are evolving fast.
