# India-France Rafale Marine naval integration > Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/india-france-rafale-marine-naval-integration > Updated: 2026-11-01T14:16:41.000Z. Sources: 26. Developments: 2. In late October 2026, a French-made Rafale Marine fighter aircraft successfully completed its maiden landing on the Indian Navy's indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. Operated by a French pilot, the aircraft engaged the carrier's arresting wires on its first attempt, validating its compatibility with the Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) system and the carrier's ski-jump ramp. This successful trial is a key milestone in India's plan to replace its aging Russian-built MiG-29K fleet, which has faced reliability issues and low serviceability rates. The transition is part of a 7.5 billion USD government-to-government agreement signed with France in April 2025 to procure 26 Rafale Marine jets, including 22 single-seat fighters and four twin-seat trainers. The deal also covers pilot training, simulators, weapons, and maintenance, while including technology transfers to integrate indigenous Indian weapons onto the aircraft. ## Timeline ### 2026-11-01: India tests French Rafale M fighter on INS Vikrant aircraft carrier India has successfully tested the French Rafale M fighter jet on the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, marking a move to replace unreliable Russian MiG-29K jets. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/india-tests-french-rafale-m-fighter-on-ins-vikrant-aircraft-carrier ### 2026-10-30: Rafale Marine fighter successfully lands on India's INS Vikrant A French Rafale Marine fighter successfully completed its first landing on India's indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, marking a major step toward its integration into the Indian Navy. 19 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rafale-marine-aircraft-completes-maiden-landing-on-ins-vikrant --- Cite as: India-France Rafale Marine naval integration. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/india-france-rafale-marine-naval-integration