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According to a report published on January 4 in the French publication La Tribune, a contract for over 26 Rafale Marine fighters could be signed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to New Delhi in March 2023. The exact dates of the Presidential visit have not been announced yet.

The report speculated that the Indian side was likely working on the formalities for signing an agreement in March 2023, as the year marks the 25^th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

However, no such communication has been released by the Indian government or the Indian Navy.

In December 2021, the former French Defense Minister Florence Parly told the media that Dassault Aviation could bag an order for “26 to 57 Rafale in Navy version.” However, a deal may now be signed for 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets instead of 57.

To supplement its dwindling and ailing fleet of carrier-based MiG-29K fighters, the Indian Navy evaluated the French Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M and the US-based Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet earlier this year. The tests involving both aircraft were conducted at a shore-based test facility in Goa, India, a few months apart.

After the trials, the Indian Navy submitted an exhaustive report on Rafale and Super Hornets to the Defense Ministry to make a final decision on the procurement, according to reports in The Times of India. As per the report, French Rafale-M is “more suitable in meeting the operational requirements and criteria” than the Super Hornets.

Earlier, military experts had said that the wings of the Rafale-M could not be folded, making it take up more space on the aircraft carrier’s deck. In contrast, F/18 Super Hornet somewhat enjoyed an advantage with its folding wing mechanism.

However, several other features of the Rafale Marine were factored into the report, which favored the Dassault aircraft. The 26 jets the Navy intends to purchase are merely a stop-gap solution until the nation develops and manufactures its twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF).

The Navy is considering importing deck-based fighters as a temporary solution because TEDBF won’t be ready for another ten years, and the MiG-29K aircraft have faced many technical problems, requiring replacement.

A report in another local French publication clarified that the remaining aircraft would not be supplied by the United States but by the Indian manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

According to speculations, the Indian Navy will acquire the HAL Tejas Mark-2 multi-mission aircraft, which is expected to be operational between 2024 and 2026. EurAsian Times could not independently verify these claims.

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The development marks the culmination of a long journey – the carrier’s construction began in 2009.

“With the delivery of Vikrant, India has joined a select group of nations having the niche capability to design and build an aircraft carrier,” the navy statement read.
It has been built at a cost of around ₹20,000 crore and will significantly boost the country’s naval presence and its reach, navy officials said. The warship’s delivery comes in the backdrop of rigorous user acceptance trials carried out between August 2021 and July 2022.

Vikrant has put India in a select league — only the US, the UK, Russia, France and China have the capability to build aircraft carriers. The 262-metre-long carrier has a full displacement of 45,000 tonne. It has been named after aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, operated by the navy from 1961 to 1997.

It has an indigenous content of 76%. It is a “perfect example of the nation’s quest for Aatmanirbhar Bharat and provides thrust to the government’s Make in India initiative,” the navy said.

Describing Vikrant as a great national achievement, former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) said the aircraft carrier will enhance the country’s power projection and sea control capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

“Building it has taken much longer than it should have. But it’s a good learning experience. It will be meaningful only if we follow it up with a second indigenous aircraft carrier. Otherwise, the skill and expertise that we have acquired will die out, and it will be a huge national loss,” Prakash added.

It will operate an air wing consisting of 30 aircraft, including MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 choppers, MH-60R multi-role helicopters, advanced light helicopters and light combat aircraft (navy).

The fighters on board the aircraft carrier will use the ski-jump to takeoff and will be recovered by arrestor wires or STOBAR (short takeoff but arrested recovery) in navy parlance.

Vikrant is also expected to operate a new deck-based fighter that the navy is planning to buy — it has already tested Boeing’s F/A-18E Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M.The carrier was designed by the Indian Navy’s directorate of naval design. It has 14 decks, including five in the superstructure, 2,300 compartments, and can accommodate a crew of 1,700, including specialised cabins for women.

India currently operates a solitary aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, bought second-hand from Russia for $2.33 billion, but the navy has been arguing it needs three such floating airfields given its vast area of interest.

Vikrant will be commissioned into the navy barely two months after China launched its third aircraft carrier, the first such designed and built entirely in that country. The launch of the new carrier called Fujian on June 17 came against the backdrop of China’s push for greater maritime influence in the far seas and as its warships attempt to leave their mark in Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

A warship’s launch marks a significant milestone in its construction and refers to the vessel entering the water for the first time. China currently operates two aircraft carriers — CV-16 Liaoning and CV-17 Shandong.

Vikrant will be the fourth aircraft carrier to be operated by the Indian Navy, first Vikrant (British origin) from 1961 to 1997, INS Viraat (British origin) from 1987 to 2016 and INS Vikramaditya (Russian origin) 2013 onwards.

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India is developing two advanced variants of the Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missiles – Astra Mk-2 and Mk-3 – with one of them capable of striking targets at a range of 160km, when ready, and the other at almost 300km. The missiles are likely to be tested next year and in 2024 respectively, and are among the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) key ongoing programmes. The current Astra Mk-1 variant has a range of around 100km.

Long-range missiles allow fighter jets to shoot down hostile aircraft from a significant standoff range, staying out of the adversary’s air defence envelope.

IAF Orders Astra Mk 1

The defence ministry, on May 31, signed a Rs 2,971-crore contract with Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) to equip the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy with Astra Mk-1 missiles and associated equipment, which was seen as a shot in the arm for “Atmanirbharta”, or self-reliance, in the defence manufacturing sector. DRDO has transferred technology to BDL for the production of the Astra Mk-1 and associated systems.

This is the first such indigenous missile to enter the service of the Indian armed forces, which has always depended on Russian (mainly R 73 and R 77) and French (Mica and Meteor) air-to-air missiles.

The government has ordered 248 missiles, including 48 for the Indian Navy. These will cater to the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI of the IAF and the MiG-29K of the Indian Navy. The Astra Mk 1 missile cost about Rs 7-8 crore each.

The plan is to integrate the missile on board the MiG-29 of the IAF and Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’ Mk 1 in a phased manner.

While the Astra Mk 1 has a range of about 110 kilometres, sources said the real game-changer will be the next-generation version, which will have a long range of about 160 kms.

Astra Mk 1

The all-weather, night-capable missile is designed to engage and destroy fast-maneuvering supersonic aircraft. It is equipped with a fully indigenous active terminal guidance system and advanced electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) to reduce the effectiveness of enemy jamming. The missile also features lock-on before launch (LOBL) and lock-on after launch (LOAL) capability, allowing launching aircraft to take advantage of its reported maximum range of more than 100 kilometers. Astra Mk 1 has a maximum speed of Mach 4.5 (over 5,500 kmph).

The Astra Mk-1 missile has been fully integrated with the Sukhoi-30 fighters and will now add to the capabilities of other combat planes including the Tejas light combat aircraft, the officials said. Also, the navy’s MiG-29K fighters, which operate from India’s sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, will be equipped with the Astra Mk-1 missile.

Retaining Edge Over Pakistan

The IAF had an advantage over its Pakistani counterparts during the Kargil battle in 1999, but lost it in 2010 when the longer-range American AMRAAM was deployed by the latter.

During the aerial clash, India lost one MiG-21 fighter, while its more modern Su-30MKIs were forced to take defensive maneuvers to avoid getting hit by Pakistan’s US-made AIM-120 BVR missiles fired from F-16s.

Pakistan’s victory in this aerial clash may be attributed to its familiarity with India’s Su-30MKIs armed with Russian R-77 BVR missiles and its superior US-made AIM-120 BVR missiles fired from its F-16s.

Pakistan has a known stockpile of 500 AIM-120 BVR missiles for its F-16 fleet, giving it an edge versus India in BVR combat since 2010. It is considered among the most advanced weapon of its type in the world, equipped with an active seeker head with a range of 100 kilometers, in contrast to the export versions of India’s R-77 BVR missile that have a shorter range of 80 kilometers.

The then IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, had on 28 February 2020 said that the force is looking at regaining the upper hand in air-to-air missile capabilities that was “allowed to slip” amid a “struggle” to acquire missiles in a process that has lasted 15 years. The IAF chief was referring to the European-manufactured Meteor missiles, which have a range of about 150 km, which are now on board the Rafale fighters.

Plans to have them integrated with other fighters were ditched, however, because the cost was very high, with each missile costing about Rs 25 crore. Moreover, the European manufacturer of the missile — MBDA — told the IAF that the French-made Mirage 2000 and the Russian Su-30 MKI are not suitable for this missile, because the radars on board these aircraft would not do justice to its capability.

For the Tejas aircraft, MBDA said that the missile can be integrated only when the aircraft is equipped with the indigenous AESA radar, rather than the Israeli one that will be initially used. Following this, the IAF decided to restrict the Meteor missile to the Rafale and rely on better versions of Astra and Israeli I-Derby for its main firepower.

China has developed the PL-15 beyond visual range air-to-air missile that can hit targets at around 200km, while the Meteor  with a range of around 160 km is considered the best in its class in the western world, and the new Astra variants will put India in the big league.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis has exposed India’s overwhelming dependence on imported weaponry, especially from Russia, and underlined the urgent need for speeding up the indigenisation drive to become self-reliant.

Development Journey

India is developing the Astra series to replace the expensive Russian, French, and Israeli-origin beyond-visual-range missiles.

The development of the Astra missile began in 2001. The Mark-1 version of the missile was tested for the first time in May 2003. Since then, Astra Mark-I has been test-fired multiple times and integrated with Su-30 MKI fighters. Apart from the Su-30 MKIs, it will be integrated with Tejas Mark-1A and upgraded MiG-29s.

India has claimed to have fully indigenized production of the Astra, with the Indian Ministry of Defense saying that the missile had been designed with the need to reduce dependence on foreign sources. An early Astra version was equipped with the Russian Agat 9B-1103M active radar seeker and radio proximity fuse detonation mechanism. Sanctions on Russia – India’s traditional military supplier – could mean that sensitive components such as missile seeker heads may be harder to procure in the coming years.

In 2018, the DRDO informed Parliament that it had formally sanctioned the Astra Mark-2 project, although work had begun informally much earlier. The Mk-2 version is now entering developmental trial.

Ramjet Propulsion

Astra Mark-2 has a range of around 160 km. The new missile will have improved jammer resistance and an indigenous seeker. The missile will be equipped with a dual-pulse rocket motor, which is critical for its long range.

India has tested the technology critical for long-range air-to-air missiles. The latest test of solid-fuelled ducted ramjet (SFDR) technology was conducted in April 2022. The technology was also tested in March and December 2021. Astra Mark-3 is based on the SFDR propulsion, which is critical to the missile’s performance in the terminal phase.

The development of SFDR technology will enable India to make its own long-range air-to-air missile, which could mirror the capabilities of the best missiles in this class, like MBDA’s Meteor, which the Indian Air Force uses on its Rafales.

The Meteor missile also depends on its ramjet propulsion for more energy to manoeuvre during the endgame of the engagement. The ramjet motor [propulsion system] provides the [Meteor] missile with thrust all the way to target intercept, providing the largest No-Escape Zone of any air-to-air missile,” the literature on the missile on the MBAD website reads.

Export Potential

The move to develop the Astra missile with extended range is in line with India’s efforts to improve its aerial warfare capabilities against Pakistan, indigenize its defense industry and potentially position itself as an alternative source of Russian standard equipment.

Astra is economically and technologically superior to many such imported missile systems now in Indian service, such as the Russian R-77, Israeli Derby, and French Meteor BVR missiles.

Moreover, India has included the development of indigenous BVR missiles in its Third Positive Indigenization List, which mentions 101 military items that India aims to produce domestically from 2022-2027.

India may also choose to export its Astra Mk1, capturing a market niche for alternative suppliers of Soviet and Russian-standard equipment as questions rise about their reliability and effectiveness in sight of the losses Moscow has sustained in Ukraine.

International sanctions on Russia may also have made it difficult for its client states to place new weapons orders. Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam may opt to purchase the Astra, which may be compatible with their Su-30 fighters and be more capable than the older Russian R-77 missiles which they now have in their inventories.

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The two aircraft, manufactured by US aerospace major Boeing, arrived in India on December 30.

“The Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I aircraft commenced operations from INS Hansa, Goa with two aircraft arriving on December 30. The aircraft were inducted after fitment of indigenous equipment and flight acceptance trials,” Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

On arrival, the two aircraft were welcomed by a MiG 29K formation, he said.

The Indian Navy had acquired the first batch of eight P-8I aircraft in 2013. The aircraft are stationed at INS Rajali, Arakkonam.

“The second batch of four additional aircraft will be based at Indian Naval Air Squadron 316, to be commissioned at INS Hansa,” Madhwal said.

The existing fleet of P-8Is is extensively deployed to keep track of the movement of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region.

The P-8I, based on the Boeing next-generation 737 commercial airplane, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon used by the US Navy.

A fleet of the P-8Is was also deployed to carry out surveillance on the movement of Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

To boost its surveillance mechanism, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two Sea Guardian drones from an American defence major over a year ago.

India has also stepped up groundwork on a long-conceived proposal to procure 30 multi-mission armed Predator drones from the US for the three services at an estimated cost of over USD 3 billion.

The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) Predator-B drones, manufactured by US defence major General Atomics, are capable of remaining airborne for around 35 hours and can hunt down targets at land and sea.

The remotely piloted drones, also known as MQ-9 Reaper, can be deployed on a range of missions including surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and destroying enemy targets.

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AEPL will be the in-country authorised partner for RAC MiG for providing post-warranty Product Support for MiG 29K/KUB aircraft, Associated Systems, Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and Special to Type Test Equipment (STTE) in the inventory of the Indian Navy.

Speaking on the partnership, Rear Admiral Srinivas Kanugo, VSM (Retd), Head of Aerospace Engineering and CEO Aviatech Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. (AEPL), commented,”We are proud to be the preferred Partner of Choice for JSC RAC MiG, Russia’s premier aerospace and defence company. The ‘Framework Agreement’ is an enabling agreement which paves the way for enhanced in-country Product Support at the doorstep of the Indian Navy establishments operating or maintaining the MiG-29K/ KUB fleet of aircraft.  It drastically reduces the turnaround timelines of the aggregates through the contracts on a long term basis as per MOD (Dept of Defence Production) guidelines. The association of Indian partner, AEPL in the follow-on support contracts addresses critical Maintenance, Logistic and Supply chain issues on 24X7 basis, thus enhancing the availability of the aircraft and associated systems.”

The Agreement has been concluded under the spirit of ‘Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA)’ signed between GOI and Russian Federation in September 2019.  It is also in line with the area of focus of IAF to engage with the Industry to set up repair and overhaul (ROH) facilities within India for high value rotables/ repairables and encouraging in-house MRO facilities, thereby leading to reduced timeframes for repair and enhanced operational availability of assets.

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The Indian Navy MiG-29K fighter jets are deployed on the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and carry out regular flying from the naval fighter base INS Hansa in Goa also.

The maritime fighter jets will complement the IAF efforts to significantly boost deep strikes and air dominance capabilities, they said,

At present, the Navy has a fleet of around 40 MiG-29K jets and at least 18 of them are deployed on board the country’s aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

The Russian-origin fighters were procured by the Indian Navy along with the aircraft carrier over a decade ago.

Poseidon 8I aircrafts of the Navy have been deployed for monitoring the movement of Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh. The long-range anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft was deployed in Doklam along the Sikkim border too during the 73-day standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in 2017.

The P-8Is were also deployed to keep an eye on movement of Pakistani troops after the Pulwama terror attack last year.

The IAF’s Plan

In the ongoing dispute with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Indian Navy has been playing an important role as its surveillance planes are being used for surveillance along the LAC for picking up Chinese activities and their positions. The surveillance aircraft were used extensively during the Doklam crisis as well.

The IAF has already positioned almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC, a move that came against the backdrop of the border row with China.

The IAF has been carrying out night time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in the last few weeks as part of its preparedness to deal with any eventualities in the mountainous region.

By the second half of August, the IAF is planning to deploy five Rafale fighter jets in the Ladakh sector which are expected to significantly enhance its combat capabilities. India is scheduled to receive the first batch of five Rafale jets on July 27.

As part of its high-level of alertness, the IAF has also deployed Apache attack choppers as well as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations in eastern Ladakh.

The Indian Navy is also carrying out an exercise close to the Malacca Straits from where the Chinese Navy enters into the Indian Ocean Region.

Moreover, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has been out in the sea for missions with its carrier battle group.

The Indian Navy has been keeping a constant eye on the activities of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean region where they come regularly with their warships including Landing Platform Docks and long-range frigates and destroyers.
said.

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