A French RAFALE-M fighter jet will make its first landing on INS Vikrant before the end of 2026, marking the start of India’s structured integration process for 26 RAFALE-M carrier-based fighters due from 2028, ET Now News reported.

At the same time, India and Australia have agreed on a maritime security cooperation roadmap, strengthening surveillance and intelligence-sharing across the Indo-Pacific.

The RAFALE-M landing on INS Vikrant will be conducted by a French aircraft and pilot as part of the First Flight Campaign. This campaign is designed to validate the compatibility of the RAFALE-M with Vikrant’s deck systems, including arresting gear, ski-jump launches, and approach profiles.

It will also familiarise engineers and naval aviators with the operational environment. A Second Flight Campaign is scheduled for early next year, ensuring comprehensive evaluation before Indian Navy pilots begin flying the aircraft.

To support these trials, INS Vikrant, a 43,000-ton carrier commissioned in 2022, is undergoing modifications to accommodate the RAFALE-M’s specific requirements. These changes include adjustments to deck markings, arresting gear calibration, and maintenance facilities, ensuring seamless integration of the aircraft into carrier operations.

The RAFALE-M was chosen after comparative trials against Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, with India signing a $7.5 billion contract in 2025 for 26 aircraft, including twin-seat trainer variants.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028, with the full complement inducted by the end of that year. Dassault Aviation will provide training for Indian pilots and technical personnel well before delivery, with the flight campaigns forming a critical preparatory step.

The acquisition addresses the Navy’s pressing need for modern carrier fighters, as the current fleet of 39 MiG-29Ks is ageing and increasingly maintenance-intensive. With India operating two carriers, Vikrant and Vikramaditya, the ideal strength is considered to be over 60 fighters, making the RAFALE-M a significant addition even if not sufficient to meet the full requirement.

The induction of RAFALE-M fighters will substantially enhance India’s carrier strike capability, providing advanced air superiority, strike, and maritime operations potential. The aircraft’s proven performance in NATO and French Navy operations ensures reliability in complex maritime environments.

The integration of RAFALE-M also reflects India’s broader defence modernisation strategy, complementing indigenous projects such as the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), which is expected to mature in the next decade.

Parallel to this, India and Australia have deepened maritime cooperation through a new security roadmap agreed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Melbourne. The roadmap includes joint surveillance of the Indo-Pacific, leveraging the shared use of the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft.

India operates twelve P-8I aircraft and is seeking Cabinet Committee on Security clearance for six more, while Australia operates a dozen P-8As. The common platform enables interoperability, joint exercises, and near-real-time intelligence exchange.

The cooperation framework also extends to closer engagement between the two countries’ Coast Guards, enhanced joint exercises, and intelligence sharing to monitor shipping, submarine activity, and other maritime developments.

Both nations are participants in Exercise Malabar alongside the United States and Japan, and the new arrangement will add depth to bilateral and multilateral engagements. Recent exercises, such as Milan 2026, have already demonstrated high levels of interoperability, with Australian MH-60R helicopters landing on INS Vikrant, underscoring trust and operational synergy.

This partnership sits within a broader Indo-Pacific context where regional powers are increasingly coordinating to counter China’s expanding naval activity.

With the United States Indo-Pacific Command focusing more on the Pacific, India and Australia are filling critical gaps in maritime monitoring and security. India’s expanding ties with Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia reflect a deliberate strategy of building interlocking partnerships rather than relying on any single bilateral relationship.

Together, the RAFALE-M induction process and the India-Australia maritime cooperation roadmap represent complementary pillars of India’s naval expansion.

On one hand, India is strengthening its carrier-based strike capability, and on the other, it is building intelligence and surveillance networks to employ that capability effectively within a coalition framework.

These developments highlight India’s ambition to combine indigenous capability with international partnerships to secure the Indo-Pacific.

Agencies