International Military - India has been facing conflict with Pakistan since many years ago. India and Pakistan are main enemies who have fought several wars mainly over Kashmir, a Muslim-majority province ruled by India. This is what makes India and Pakistan at odds until now.
Quoted from Defense Security Asia, according to Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Pakistan's acquisition of 25 J-10 aircraft from China is the country's attempt to compete with 36 French-made Rafale two-engine aircraft acquired by India.
India is on the hunt for a multi-role carrier-based fighter for a new locally developed carrier that is currently in sea trials. The Indian Navy has indicated that it remains determined to acquire the twin-engine aircraft to replace the MiG-29K currently in service from the INS Vikramaditya.
Quoted from the Eurasian Times, the Indian Navy has carried out flight tests of the naval version of the Rafale fighter at the Shore Based Test Facility at INS Hansa in Goa as part of its training to determine the best fighter aircraft to suit the planned 40,000 tonne carrier INS Vikrant. commissioned in August 2022.
For now, the Rafales appear to be a 'hot contender' after then-Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh said the Indian Navy could pursue a joint acquisition of the fighter with the Indian Air Force. IAC 1 is now undergoing extensive sea trials in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean at the Cochin shipyard.
An information request (RFI) for a multirole carrier fighter was issued by the Naval Air Staff Directorate in January 2017 as the currently operational Mig-29K is scheduled to be discontinued in 2034.
The Indian Navy has chosen to assess the global tender for a carrier-based twin-engine fighter, despite the fact that the locally developed twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF) is slated to arrive in 2032. In March, the Indian Navy is also planning to test the US F-18 Super Hornet as an alternative to the Rafale-M (Marine) aircraft at the same location.
The Boeing F-18 Super Hornet is a tried and true carrier-based multi-role fighter for the US Navy, with strike missions dating back to the 1991 Gulf War. The IAC-1 was supposed to be commissioned as INS Vikrant on August 15, 2022, the 75th anniversary of independence. India.
The Indian Navy could ask the French aircraft manufacturer to lease four to five Rafale-M aircraft by 2022 so that the carrier can be put into service. Ambala Air Base in India already has Rafale flight maintenance and training facilities. Naval pilots will be trained at INS Hansa, according to the Hindustan Times.
During his recent visit to India, the French Defense Minister has also expressed his willingness to supply the carrier-based Rafale to India. He has stated “We knew an aircraft carrier would be arriving soon and planes would be needed. If India decides to buy the Rafale again, we are ready to offer it.
At the time, he had also stated that France would supply additional Rafale fighter jets beyond the 36 that the Indian Air Force plans to acquire. Even before signing the contract for the air force fighter in 2016, Dassault Aviation had been in talks with the Navy about the sale of a naval variant of the Rafale.
A total of three Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale fighters arrived in India on Tuesday, 22 February 2022, evening from France. The plane took off from a French air base and was provided mid-air refueling by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force. With the arrival of the three newest aircraft, India has now received a total of 35 of the 36 Rafale fighter jets.
According to government officials, the last plane will arrive in India from France in a few weeks, according to India Today. In March, the Indian Navy also plans to test the US F-18 Super Hornet as an alternative to the Rafale-M (Marine) aircraft at the same location.