A Dassault Rafale M landed on the Indian Navy’s INS Vikrant for the first time on October 29, 2026, then took off from the carrier after the deck landing. The navy announced the milestone the next day, calling it the aircraft’s maiden attempt on the domestically built ship.
That makes the event more than a photo opportunity. It is the first shipboard landing and takeoff for the Rafale M on INS Vikrant, and the navy said the trials are the first steps toward operationalising the aircraft in its fleet. The service also released footage of the aircraft’s arrested recovery on the Short Take-Off Barrier Arrested carrier, underscoring that the test was not just about touching down but about proving the full sequence needed for routine deck operations.
The milestone follows a run-up of testing on land. Before the shipboard phase, the Rafale M underwent carrier-compatibility testing at the Shore-Based Test Facility in Goa on India’s western seaboard, with images of those trials circulating on social media on October 22, 2026. India selected the aircraft in July 2023 and later signed an intergovernmental agreement with France in April 2025 for 26 aircraft, including 22 single-seat fighters and four twin-seat trainers.
The bigger question is why the navy needs the jet now. Its carrier fighter fleet still rests on the Russian MiG-29K/KUB, which operates from both INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, but the Rafale M is meant to provide an interim carrier-based fighter capability until the indigenous Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter becomes available. Delays in that program have raised the prospect that India may need additional imported fighters to keep its carrier air wing fully equipped.
The case for the Rafale M is also practical. Its commonality with the land-based aircraft already in service with the Indian Air Force is expected to simplify training, maintenance and logistics, which gives it an advantage as the Indian Navy pushes ahead with deck integration. Both the Light Combat Aircraft Navy and the MiG-29K conducted their maiden tests from INS Vikrant on February 6, 2023, and the MiG-29K later carried out a night-landing on the carrier on May 24 before taking part in a twin-carrier operation with INS Vikramaditya.
For now, the key fact is that the first shipboard hurdle is already behind the Rafale M. What remains is how quickly the Indian Navy can turn a successful maiden landing and takeoff into a program ready to join daily carrier operations, and whether the trials will be fast enough to narrow the gap left by the delayed Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter.
