Marking what would be an advance for the modernization program of its fighter fleet, local reports have indicated that the Indian Navy could soon receive its first Rafale fighters, which would be used to begin training future pilots. According to reports from New Delhi, delivery of these first aircraft is expected to take place between August and September, which would in practice set in motion the process of incorporating a fleet of 26 new French-made aircraft sought by the service.
Expanding on the details reported from the Asian country, the contract reportedly reached with France предусматривает the arrival of the first combat aircraft only some 37 months after its signing, which would place the timeline in mid-2028. This has led recent reports to suggest that these would be the four twin-seat aircraft intended for pilot training from land bases, rather than the 22 single-seat Rafale fighters that would actually be used in combat operations from Indian Navy aircraft carriers.
If these speculations are confirmed, the development would represent an opportunity for the Indian Navy to accelerate the transition to the new platform designed by Dassault, considering that these aircraft require a complex training period for their use, especially in the role the service intends for them. This implies becoming familiar with new weapons, avionics, and even operational doctrine, according to local analysts, as it is a more advanced weapons system than the aging MiG-29K models it is intended to replace.
At the same time, it is also worth mentioning that the Indian Air Force is moving forward with its own acquisition of a Rafale fighter fleet, which would be almost five times larger than the number sought by the country’s navy; specifically, around 114 aircraft. These units would be intended to take over from the already retired MiG-21s it had operated, thus complementing a current fleet based mainly on Russian-designed Su-30MKI fighters and increasing the number of operational squadrons available to New Delhi. This is not a minor issue, considering that India currently has only around 29 squadrons compared to the 42 required under its strategic plans.
In that regard, India’s Ministry of Defence told a parliamentary committee that it expects to be able to finalize the corresponding agreement during fiscal year 2026–2027, taking advantage of a funding increase of around 37% compared to the previous period. In addition to the Rafale fighters themselves, this would also involve the arrival of up to 60 new medium transport aircraft, as well as airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms.
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