India Negotiates with France for 26 Rafale Marine Jets

India is in talks with France to purchase 26 Rafale Marine jets in a deal expected to exceed Rs 50,000 crore. The negotiations, which began on June 12, are anticipated to continue for 10-12 days.

Deal Details

The deal includes integrating Indian weapons like the Astra air-to-air missile, India-specific enhancements, and landing equipment for operations from aircraft carriers. The French side has demonstrated the jets’ capabilities from Indian aircraft carriers during trials.

Negotiation Strategy

India aims to use the previous deal for 36 Rafale jets as a base price, adjusted for inflation. Naval twin-engine jets are generally more expensive due to additional capabilities required for sea operations.

Deployment Plans

The Rafale Marine jets will be operated from the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, and will be based at INS Dega in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.