New Delhi: French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu will go onboard aircraft carrier INS Vikrant off the coast of Mumbai on November 27.

Minister Lecornu will be on a two day visit to India and is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on November 28.

However, his on-board visit to INS Vikrant is significant as French Rafale-M is one of the two contenders for the floating airfield.

The other contender for the 26 maritime strike fighters for INS Vikrant is US Boeing manufactured F-18 fighter.

India’s other aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is expected to come out of major overhaul by next month with scheduled sea trials and aircraft landings planned off the coast of Karwar immediately after.