A Rafale Marine (Rafale M) fighter aircraft successfully executed an arrested landing on the Indian Navy’s indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on 29 October 2026, completing the manoeuvre on its maiden attempt. The Indian Navy confirmed the milestone on 30 October, describing the ongoing trials as the first steps towards operationalisation of the aircraft.
In its official statement, the Navy said: “A Rafale Marine aircraft successfully landed onboard Indian Navy’s indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant on its maiden attempt on 29 Oct 26. The ongoing trials mark the first steps towards operationalisation of the aircraft in the Indian Navy.” The landing was conducted under the command of Captain Ashok Rao, NM, Commanding Officer of INS Vikrant. The Navy also released video footage of the event.
The carrier landing followed shore-based trials at the Shore-Based Test Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa. This facility replicates the ski-jump ramp and arrestor-wire systems used by Indian aircraft carriers and was used to assess the modifications required for the Rafale M to operate from INS Vikrant.
Technical Context
The Rafale M is designed for Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) operations, as employed on the French Navy’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. INS Vikrant, by contrast, uses the Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) configuration, in which aircraft take off from a ski-jump ramp and are recovered using arrestor wires. The successful maiden landing validates the aircraft’s compatibility with the STOBAR system after the necessary assessments and modifications.
A practical consideration involves the Rafale M’s fixed, non-folding wings, which have a span of approximately 10.9 metres. This exceeds the width of INS Vikrant’s aircraft lifts (roughly 10 metres), which were designed for the folding-wing MiG-29K. Work is underway to modify the lifts, and operational procedures may include the temporary removal of wingtip pylons during transfers between the flight deck and hangar. Similar space constraints exist on INS Vikramaditya.
Acquisition Background
India and France signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement on 28 April 2025 for the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft at a value of approximately ₹63,000 crore. The package comprises 22 single-seat fighters and four twin-seat trainers, along with weapons, simulators, training, and logistics support. Deliveries are expected to begin from late 2028 or 2029 and conclude by 2030–2031. The aircraft will operate from both INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
The Rafale M is a twin-engine multirole carrier-based fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It is capable of air defence, maritime strike, reconnaissance, and deep-strike missions, and is equipped with advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems, and weapons including the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, MICA missiles, SCALP cruise missiles, and Exocet anti-ship missiles. Once inducted, the type will operate alongside and eventually help replace the Navy’s MiG-29K fleet, serving as an interim capability until the indigenous Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) becomes available. The acquisition also provides logistical commonality with the Indian Air Force’s existing Rafale fleet.
The successful first landing marks an important early milestone in the integration process. Further trials will continue to establish the aircraft’s full operational suitability for sustained carrier operations from India’s indigenous and existing aircraft carriers.
