Etawah Today | Defence Desk \u2013<\/strong> In a major boost to India\u2019s maritime defence capabilities, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi<\/strong>, has cleared the much-anticipated deal to procure 26 Rafale (Marine) jets<\/strong> from France, worth around \u20b964,000 crore<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The jets will be deployed aboard INS Vikrant<\/strong>, India\u2019s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, significantly enhancing the Indian Navy\u2019s air combat capabilities at sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This decision follows the Defence Ministry\u2019s approval in July 2023<\/strong> for the purchase of Rafale-M (Marine) jets, specifically designed for carrier-based operations. The move is aimed at modernizing naval aviation and replacing older platforms currently in use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside the Rafales, the ministry had also cleared the purchase of three additional Scorpene submarines<\/strong> from France under Project 75<\/strong>, although the CCS is yet to greenlight that portion of the procurement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Rafale-M jets will be acquired under an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA)<\/strong> between India and France. The package includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is India\u2019s second major Rafale purchase. The Indian Air Force<\/strong> had earlier procured 36 Rafale jets<\/strong> in fly-away condition, which are now fully operational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The deployment of Rafale-Ms on INS Vikrant<\/strong>, commissioned in 2022, will elevate the Navy\u2019s blue water operations. These twin-engine fighter jets are equipped for air superiority<\/strong>, reconnaissance<\/strong>, and strike missions<\/strong>, and are compatible with aircraft carriers\u2019 ski-jump launch systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Defence experts believe this move will further strengthen India\u2019s presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)<\/strong> amid rising maritime challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \ud83d\udd39 Naval Rafale Jets to Strengthen INS Vikrant\u2019s Strike Capabilities Etawah Today | Defence Desk \u2013 In a major boost to India\u2019s maritime defence capabilities, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared the much-anticipated deal to procure 26 Rafale (Marine) jets from France, worth around \u20b964,000 crore. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":532,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india-news-etw","category-india-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udd39 Deal Follows Defence Ministry Nod in July 2023<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udd39 Inter-Governmental Agreement to Finalize Acquisition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udd39 Naval Power Boost for India\u2019s Blue Water Strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n