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India and France are set to finalize a ₹63,000-crore deal for 26 Rafale-M fighter jets.
French and Indian Defence Ministers are signing the agreement separately; a ceremony will be held in India to announce it.
The French Ambassador to India and India’s Defence Secretary will oversee the ceremony.
The deal includes 22 single-seat jets for aircraft carriers and 4 twin-seat trainer jets not meant for carrier use.
Delivery of the jets will start in 3.5 years and finish in about 6.5 years.
The Indian Air Force already operates 36 Rafale jets from a previous ₹60,000-crore deal.
Indian Navy operates two aircraft carriers – INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.
Rafales will need minor modifications to fit on the aircraft lifts of these carriers, originally designed for MiG-29K jets.
Rafale-M
Designed and built by Dassault Aviation, a French aerospace company.
Features:
Multi-role, 4+ generation fighter aircraft with advanced avionics and AESA radar.
Capable of deep strikes, air defense, reconnaissance, and maritime operations.
Equipped with advanced armaments like Meteor, Multi-mission air-to-air missile system (MICA), SCALP missiles, and EXOCET anti-ship weapons.
Differences from Air Force Rafale:
Heavier airframe due to additional reinforcements for naval operations.
Optimized radar and electronic warfare systems for maritime applications.
Enhanced landing capabilities for Catapult Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) and Short Take-Off, Barrier Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) systems.
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