India opts for Rafale M to replace Russian MiG‑29K fighters
India has reached an agreement with France regarding the purchase of Rafale M fighters. According to analysts from Ukraine's Defense Express, these aircraft are meant to serve as replacements for the Russian MiG-29K fighters, which have demonstrated numerous shortcomings during their deployment in India.
According to Asian media, under the Paris-New Delhi agreement, the Indian Navy will receive 26 carrier-based Rafale M fighters. The signing of the agreement is expected to take place at the end of April during the official visit of the French defence minister to India.
India has had enough of the Russian MiG-29K
The French aircraft will operate from aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, which are used by the Indian Navy. Currently, the backbone of this country's carrier aviation is the Russian MiG-29K fighters, which have garnered a bad reputation over the years.
Analysts from Ukraine's Defense Express recall that plans to purchase additional MiG-29K units were quickly abandoned. Instead, Indian authorities focused on designing their own aircraft of this type and on foreign purchases, but not from Russia. Consideration was given only to the F/A-18 Super Hornet and Rafale M. The MiG-29K fighters showed all their negative sides in India. Primarily, they exhibited low flight readiness due to frequent malfunctions, such as faulty landing gear and even cracked fuselages, as well as problems stemming from weak engines and a series of accidents and crashes, resulting in the loss of several units.
India increasingly favours French aircraft
The Rafale M is a fighter adapted for operations from aircraft carriers. It is somewhat heavier, due to its reinforced structure and several additional elements like an arrestor hook system, than the basic Rafale. However, it is still capable of reaching speeds of up to 1.8 Mach (about 1,900 km/h). Its armament can include various types of missiles, including the long-range air-to-air Meteor missiles.
For years, India was militarily aligned with Russia, purchasing the vast majority of its weaponry from there. However, India is increasingly turning to Western aircraft, including French ones. Currently, the Indian Air Force has 36 Rafale fighters at its disposal. Another example of India shifting away from Russia and opting for Western equipment is the choice of American P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft instead of the post-Soviet Ilyushin Il-38SD.
