India is buying 26 Rafale-M fighter jets from France for its Navy, with deliveries set to begin in 2028 and complete by 2030.
Modifications will be needed on Indian aircraft carriers for the Rafale-M to fit on lifts and perform optimally, including adjustments to the lifts and ski-jump system.
The deal includes training, simulators, equipment, weapons, and a five-year performance-based logistics package, totaling ₹64,000 crore.
Rafale-M will operate from both INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier.
Both aircraft carriers use the STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) method, which involves a ski-jump for take-off and arrester wires for landing.
The deal was finalized under an inter-governmental agreement between India and France, and it will enhance India's naval air capabilities.
The Indian government also advanced another deal for 156 light combat helicopters with HAL to optimize capital utilization in the defense budget.
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