Watch: Rafale Marine lands on INS Vikrant; Navy tests French jet in major milestone

NEW DELHI: A Rafale Marine fighter jet successfully landed on Indian Navy's indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant on its maiden attempt during ongoing trials in Goa, the force said.The Navy shared a video of the landing on its official X handle on Friday, a day after the successful landing.Also Read: Rafale Marine trials underway in Goa for INS Vikrant operations"A Rafale Marine aircraft successfully landed onboard Indian Navy's indigenous Aircraft Carrier #INSVikrant on its maiden attempt on 29 Oct 26. The ongoing trials mark the first steps towards operationalisation of the aircraft in the Indian Navy," the Navy said in its post, accompanying the video.The ongoing trials are aimed at validating modifications required to operate the French-origin aircraft from the carrier. The Navy has signed a contract for 26 Rafale Marine jets, with deliveries expected by the end of 2028 or early 2029.Why are the trials significantThe trials are significant as the Rafale Marine, also known as Rafale M, was originally designed to operate from CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) aircraft carriers. INS Vikrant, however, uses the STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) system, under which fighter jets take off using a ski-jump ramp and land by engaging arrestor wires on the flight deck.Integrating the Rafale M with INS Vikrant, therefore, requires extensive testing to validate the aircraft's compatibility with the carrier's ski-jump launch configuration, arrestor-wire recovery system and other onboard infrastructure.About Rafale MarineThe Rafale M is a carrier-based, twin-engine multirole fighter developed by French aerospace manufacturer Dassault Aviation for the French Navy. It can perform air defence, reconnaissance, deep-strike and anti-ship missions.Powered by two Safran M88 engines, the aircraft can reach speeds of up to Mach 1.8 (around 2,200 kmph). It features an arrestor hook for aircraft carrier landings and advanced radar and electronic warfare systems.Its weapons package includes Meteor and MICA air-to-air missiles, SCALP cruise missiles and AM39 Exocet anti-ship missiles.