India shifts naval power: Rafale M jets replace Russian MiGs
According to the Bulgarian Military portal, which cites various Asian media reports, India has decided to purchase French Rafale M fighters. These aircraft will replace the unreliable Russian MiG-29K fighters currently used on Indian aircraft carriers.
The Indian Navy has two aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. The Rafale M is expected to play a key role in enhancing the country's naval aviation capabilities.
The contract, which the media reports has already been signed and will be officially announced in April, concerns 26 Rafale M fighters. India will pay France approximately £6.3 billion for these.
The Indian Navy disappointed with the MiG-29K
The Indian Navy recognized the need to modernise its fleet several years ago. When initiating the competition related to the new onboard aircraft, acquiring additional MiG-29K fighters from Russia was not considered.
The machines have suffered a series of unfortunate incidents, resulting in Delhi losing several units. Those still in service are not rated highly, and the Indian military command criticises the Russian fighters for their limited combat capabilities due to, among other things, poor engines or defective landing gear. An internal audit conducted in 2020 revealed that only 60% of Indian MiG-29K fighters were fully operational. The remaining were unfit for service due to technical failures and logistical issues related to components.
Meanwhile, the Russians have been unable to complete repairs on their only aircraft carrier for years, so they do not use MiG-29K fighters. In his February analysis, Reuben Johnson, a former Pentagon consultant, stated that the MiG-29K has gotten into trouble, and it's unclear what its future holds.
Rafale M to strengthen the Indian Navy
For years, India has remained militarily aligned with Russia. While it continues to sign contracts for military equipment, the number is noticeably fewer than in previous years. The choice increasingly falls on equipment from NATO countries. This is also evident regarding fighters. India already operates 36 Rafale fighters, and the Rafale M will join them soon.
Rafale M is a carrier-based variant designed to operate from aircraft carriers. It is slightly heavier due to reinforced landing gear and a few additional elements compared to the standard Rafale, but it can achieve a maximum speed of up to 1.8 Mach (about 1,900 km/h). It can carry various types of armament, including the long-range air-to-air missile Meteor.
In the Indian tender, the Rafale M defeated the American F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The choice of the French aircraft may have long-term benefits for India, as the Rafale M shares about 80% of its components with the Rafale, which can facilitate maintenance and reduce its costs.
For Russia, this turn of events is another blow. India remains one of the world’s largest arms importers (alongside Ukraine, although in the latter's case, a significant portion of equipment is provided free of charge as part of ally support), and many countries seek defence contracts with Delhi. Russia does too, as evidenced by the example of the Su-57, which continues to be offered to Indian authorities and was recently showcased at the Aero India 2025 fair.
