Overview
- A Rafale Marine successfully made an arrested landing on INS Vikrant and was reported to have taken off afterward, a milestone the Indian Navy confirmed with video of the October 29, 2026 deck landing.
- The Navy is continuing shore-based and sea trials in Goa to test Rafale M performance on STOBAR carriers, checking ski-jump launches, arrestor-wire recoveries, deck handling and any aircraft modifications needed.
- At least one report says a Dassault test pilot flew the trial sorties, which follows earlier Shore-Based Test Facility work at INS Hansa that replicated carrier ski-jump operations.
- India’s April 28, 2025 inter-governmental deal for 26 Rafale Marine jets includes weapons, simulators, pilot training, MRO support and technology transfer for local fuselage work and weapons integration, but published delivery estimates vary between late‑2028/early‑2029 and a 2029–2031 window.
- The Rafale M is intended as a near-term boost to carrier air power while India develops the indigenous TEDBF; next steps to watch are formal STOBAR certification, the start of deliveries, and the integration of Indian weapons and maintenance facilities.