New Delhi: A Rafale Marine (Rafale M) fighter successfully landed on the Indian Navy’s indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at the first attempt on Thursday, the Navy said.
The Navy described the landing as part of the ongoing trials, which it called the first steps towards operationalizing the aircraft in the service.
What the trials are meant to test
Aircraft carrier trials of this kind normally check how the aircraft behaves in the approach to the deck, the ski-jump launch, the arrested recovery and handling on the flight deck.
They also check how the aircraft works with the ship’s arresting gear.
Vikrant uses a short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) system, with a ski-jump ramp at the bow and arrester wires at the stern.
The Rafale M has a reinforced undercarriage and a tailhook for such landings.
Background
India signed an intergovernmental agreement with France on April 28, 2025, for 26 Rafale M jets, 22 single-seat and four twin-seat trainers.
The deal was reported to be worth about ₹63,000 crore. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2028, and the Navy plans to use the jets mainly to replace its ageing MiG-29K fleet.
Some reports put the full induction beyond 2028, so the timeline may shift.
The Navy had earlier tested the Rafale M at the shore-based test facility at INS Hansa in Goa, where a ski-jump ramp replicates the carrier's deck.
The jet was assessed against Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet before New Delhi chose it.
The Indian Air Force already flies 36 Rafales, and the Navy's order is expected to ease logistics and spares support.
INS Vikrant was built by Cochin Shipyard Limited and commissioned on September 2, 2022. It displaces about 45,000 tonnes.
On February 6, 2023, a MiG-29K and the naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas) made the carrier's first fixed-wing landings.
The MiG-29K later made its first night landing there, on May 24, 2023. Rafale M is now the third fixed-wing type to land on the ship.
