The Indian Navy has begun trials of Dassault Aviation’s Rafale Marine fighter at the Shore-Based Test Facility (SBTF) in Goa, according to Asian Military Review. The evaluation is being conducted at INS Hansa, where the facility reproduces the ski-jump arrangement used by India’s aircraft carriers.
The trials are intended to support the planned introduction of the aircraft into Indian naval service. India has an order for 26 Rafale M fighters, which will operate from the aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. Both warships use the short take-off but arrested recovery, or STOBAR, method of carrier operations.
Testing the aircraft for India’s carrier configuration
The Goa facility allows carrier-borne aircraft to be evaluated against a ski-jump before operations from an aircraft carrier. This is particularly relevant to the Indian Navy because the Rafale M was originally developed for the French Navy’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which uses catapult-assisted take-off and arrested recovery rather than a STOBAR configuration.
The Rafale M had previously taken part in an Indian naval fighter evaluation at the SBTF in January 2022. On that occasion, the aircraft was assessed alongside Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for the Navy’s requirement for a Multi-Role Carrier-Borne Fighter.
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Aircraft | Dassault Aviation Rafale Marine |
| Indian order | 26 aircraft |
| Configuration | 22 single-seat and four twin-seat aircraft |
| Trial location | Shore-Based Test Facility, INS Hansa, Goa |
| Planned completion of deliveries | 2030 |
Inter-governmental agreement signed in 2025
India and France signed an inter-governmental agreement in April 2025 for the procurement. The package, valued at ₹630 billion (US$7.4 billion), includes the 22 single-seat and four twin-seat aircraft, along with training, a simulator, associated equipment, weapons and performance-based logistics support.
The agreement also provides for the integration of indigenously developed Indian weapons. It includes plans for a Rafale fuselage production facility in India, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities covering aircraft engines, sensors and weapons.
Rafale M to operate alongside MiG-29K
Deliveries under the agreement are scheduled to be completed by 2030. Once introduced, Indian Rafale M aircraft will operate from the Navy’s carriers alongside the existing Russian-built MiG-29K carrier-borne fighters.
- The trials are being conducted at INS Hansa’s SBTF in Goa.
- India has ordered 26 Rafale M aircraft: 22 single-seat and four twin-seat fighters.
- The package includes training, weapons, Indian weapon integration and support facilities in India.
The ongoing evaluation at Goa is therefore a step in the process of adapting the Rafale Marine to India’s carrier-borne aviation requirements before the contracted aircraft are delivered. The Navy’s two aircraft carriers are configured for STOBAR operations, making the SBTF trials an important part of the acquisition and induction programme.
