Trials of the Rafale Marine fighter aircraft are being carried out in Goa by the Indian Navy, defence officials said on Wednesday. The trials are for the modifications to the aircraft required for carrying out operations from the Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, ANI reported.

Source: ANI

26Rafale Marine jets under contract
end-2028 / early 2029scheduled delivery, per officials
Rs 63,000 croreapprox. deal value (yaani about Rs 630 billion)
22 + 4single-seat + twin-seat jets

The Indian Navy has signed a contract for 26 Rafale Marines, which are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2028 or early 2029, according to the officials cited by ANI. The Rafale-Marine (Rafale-M) is designed to operate from aircraft carriers at sea, is built by Dassault Aviation of France and is already in use with the French Navy, the Indian Economic Observer reported in its account of the same ANI report.

Source: Indian Economic Observer

India signed the defence agreement with France on April 28, 2025 to procure the 26 Rafale-Marine jets for approximately Rs 63,000 crore — 22 single-seat and 4 twin-seat aircraft. The deal makes India the first international operator of the naval variant, and also covers pilot training, flight simulators, weapons, essential equipment and long-term maintenance support, plus extra gear for the Rafale jets already flown by the Indian Air Force, ANI reported.

Source: ANI

In line with the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat thrust, the agreement includes transfer of technology for the integration of indigenous weapons in India, ANI said. The Indian Navy currently operates two aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, and the Rafale-M jets will be capable of operating from both, Daily Prabhat reported.

Source: Daily Prabhat

The jets are intended for missions including air defence, maritime strike, reconnaissance and shore strikes, and are meant to strengthen the fleet's air defence and its ability to exercise control over the seas while staying outside enemy weapon ranges, according to the ANI report. No trial results or completion date for the Goa trials were announced in the reports cited here.

Sources: ANI, Indian Economic Observer, Daily Prabhat.