At the INS Hansa in Goa, a shore-based test facility, India will test the Rafale-M (Marine) jet for use on its Vikramaditya aircraft carrier as well as the indigenous aircraft carrier 1 (IAC1), which will be deployed as the INS Vikrant, on Friday. The test aircraft arrived on Thursday.

The Rafale-M is the Rafale’s standard naval version, which is the F4 equivalent. The Rafale jet’s marine version has a reinforced undercarriage and nose wheel, a larger arrester hook, an integrated ladder, and other minor differences from the Indian Air Force’s current Rafale.

For several reasons, according to people familiar with the situation, the Rafale-M is better suited for use on aircraft carriers than the US F18 Hornet fighter. They pointed out that it can fit into the Vikramaditya’s lift bay, whereas the F18 cannot, even with folded wings, fit into the Vikramaditya’s lift bay. Because of the Rafale-size, M’s 14 of them can fit on the deck of the Vikramaditya, compared to 10 or 11 F18s.

It also necessitates only minor modifications to the Vikramaditya’s wheel-chokes, which are reversible and can be removed if necessary.

For a ski take-off, the Rafale-M can carry up to four-five tonnes of external load (with full internal fuel). It can carry more weapons with less internal fuel, depending on mission requirements. With full internal fuel, it can perform all roles, including combat air patrol, intercept, AD escort, as well as sea and land strike.

Officials familiar with the situation also stated that, unlike the F18s, which require the carriers to be fitted with a new carrier optical landing system, the Rafale Ms can use the Vikramaditya’s existing system.

One of the people said that having a common platform across the navy and the Air Force is also advantageous. Apart from logistical and maintenance synergies, Indian Navy pilots could be trained on IAF Rafales for “faster induction,” according to this source.

The navy will likely test the F18s at the same facility in March.

The Vikrant is expected to be commissioned by August 15, and India may seek to lease four or five Rafale-M aircraft for immediate deployment if the Rafale-M is chosen. Two squadrons of ageing MiG-29s are currently assigned to the Vikramaditya.

The Rafale-M fighter being tested is the most recent version of the fighter, with India-specific upgrades. It can carry nuclear weapons and is equipped with Meteor air-to-air missiles, SCALP air-to-ground missiles, and Hammer precision guided ammunition.

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