India selects naval version of Rafale: Dassault Aviation

India is procuring the Rafale jets for deployment on the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

PTI

July 15, 2023 / 11:04 IST

Representative image.

The Indian government announced the selection of the naval variant of Rafale jets to equip the Indian Navy with the latest-generation fighter, Dassault Aviation, French aerospace major and maker of the aircraft, said today.

The defence ministry had on July 13 approved the purchase of 26 Rafale (marine) jets from France. There was no mention of the procurement of Rafale jets in a document released following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on July 14 .

"The Indian Government announced the selection of the Navy Rafale to equip the Indian Navy with a latest-generation fighter," Dassault Aviation said in a statement. It said the decision came after a "successful trial campaign held in India, during which the Navy Rafale demonstrated that it fully met the Indian Navy’s operational requirements and was perfectly suited to the specificities of its aircraft carrier".

"The Indian Navy’s 26 Rafale will eventually join the 36 Rafale already in service, which are giving full satisfaction to the Indian Air Force, making India the first country to make the same military choice as France by operating both versions of the aircraft to help consolidate its superiority in the air and on the seas and guarantee its sovereignty," it said.

India is procuring the Rafale jets for deployment on the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The French defence major said Rafale’s selection confirms the excellence of the jet and its "exceptional quality of the link between Dassault Aviation and the Indian forces and the importance of the strategic relationship between India and France".