Rafale Marine lands on INS Vikrant for the first time
A Rafale Marine fighter jet has landed on India’s home-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant for the first time, touching down on its first attempt on Thursday, 29 October. The Indian Navy announced the milestone on 30 October and shared video of the arrested landing.
The jet also took off from the carrier during the same trials, according to reports on 30 October. The Navy described the trials as the first steps towards putting the aircraft into service.
The landing matters because the Rafale Marine was designed for catapult launches from French carriers such as the Charles de Gaulle. INS Vikrant has no catapult: jets take off from a curved ski-jump ramp and land by catching an arrester wire. Before the shipboard trials, the Navy tested the jet at its shore-based facility at INS Hansa in Goa, where a land-based ski-jump copies the carrier’s deck.
The trials support a deal India already signed. In April 2025, India and France agreed that India would buy 26 Rafale Marine jets — 22 single-seat fighters and four twin-seat trainers — for about 63,000 crore rupees. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2028, and the jets will fly from INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, mainly replacing the Navy’s ageing MiG-29K fighters.
INS Vikrant was built by Cochin Shipyard and commissioned in September 2022. It displaces about 45,000 tonnes. The Rafale Marine is the third fixed-wing type to land on the ship, after the MiG-29K and the naval Tejas, which made the carrier’s first landings in February 2023.
Why it matters
The landing is the first real proof that the Rafale Marine can work from India’s ski-jump carriers, not just from a test ramp on land. That was the main technical question hanging over the 26-jet purchase, and a failed first attempt would have raised doubts about the whole programme.
It also moves India a step closer to a modern carrier air wing. The MiG-29K fleet it is meant to replace has faced serviceability problems for years.
What happens next
More trials will follow to check the jet for sustained carrier operations, including different loads and weather conditions. The Navy has said the aircraft is not yet in operational service, and formal induction will come only after the trials are complete. The first of India’s own 26 jets is not expected before 2028.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://en.channeliam.com/2026/10/31/rafale-marine-maiden-landing-on-ins-vikrant/ (Channeliam, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.indiasentinels.com/navy/indian-navy-rafale-marine-fighter-makes-maiden-landing-on-ins-vikrant-7677 (India Sentinels, 30 October 2026)
- https://www.indiastrategic.in/rafale-marine-makes-historic-maiden-landing-on-ins-vikrant-marking-major-milestone-for-indian-navy/ (India Strategic, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.mirrornow.in/mumbai-news/rafale-marine-successful-landing-trials-ins-vikrant-article-156437254 (Mirror Now, 30 October 2026)
