All I know is that we need Uranium for our Nuclear Power Plants
And we are getting it through the Civil Nuclear Deal
We don't need Reactor Technology
Kudankulam is an exception
India - France relations.
- Thread starter Gautam
- Start date
All I know is that we need Uranium for our Nuclear Power Plants
And we are getting it through the Civil Nuclear Deal
We don't need Reactor Technology
Kudankulam is an exception
(IDA, jan.06)
Intensified discussion between Indo-French officials
India-France increase cooperation in fighter & submarine
(i wish you all a happy new year 2023!)
Indo-French 36th Strategic Dialogue
India and France has recently held the 36th Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi. The Indian delegation was led by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, while the French delegation was led by French President Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne.
The visit comes in the year when the French President is also expected to visit India and which marks the 25th anniversary of the Indo-French strategic partnership, launched in 1998. Defence cooperation, space cooperation and civil nuclear cooperation constitute the three principal pillars of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Mr Emmanuel Bonne has also called on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and PM has highlighted the close cooperation between India and France in various domains of their Strategic Partnership including defence, security, and the Indo-Pacific. Prime Minister welcomed France’s support to India’s G20 Presidency. Discussions were also held on other areas of mutual interest and cooperation including energy, and culture.
Mr. Bonne also met External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar.
Intensified discussion between Indo-French officials
The discussions at various levels between Indian and France has intensified in last two months. As a part of the fourth annual India-France defence dialogue at the end of November in Delhi, the Minister for the Armed Forces of France was in India to meet his Indian counterpart. The discussion was underway to strengthen maritime cooperation and increase the complexity of bilateral exercises. They also discussed industrial cooperation in defence, including “Make in India”. Discussion was also on future cooperation and co-production possibilities.
On November 27, a high-level French delegation led by French Defense Minister had visited the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. Recently the French Media has also reported that the Rafale-M deal for Indian Navy will signed in March 2023. In December 2022, The Print has also reported that the Rafale-M is the choice of Indian Navy.
General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff has also visited France from November 14 to 17, 2022. During his four-day visit, he met with his counterpart and senior military officials French, including the army chief of staff.
India-France increase cooperation in fighter & submarine
In last few months, there has been lot of engagement between Indian and French diplomats at various levels. Its being reported that as a part of 36th strategic dialogue, India is expecting collaboration on aircraft engine development which will power its future jets. As per HT reports, India is looking towards France to continue the manufacturing line at Mumbai dockyards with diesel attack submarines retrofitted with indigenous air independent propulsion (AIP) system for long endurance.
In December 2022, the 5th Submarine of Scorpene class was handed to Indian Navy and the 6th and last submarine of this class is undergoing sea trials and is expected to be commissioned in the year 2024. This leaves the MDL manufacturing line almost idle which has capacity to build 11 submarines simultaneously at different stages.
At the same time, Indian Navy is facing challenges from PLA Navy which is at present the world's largest navy with more than 70 submarines in operation. Besides China, Pakistan will also become considerable threat in coming years as China & Pakistan has jointly commenced construction of 6 out of 8 Hangor Class submarine. The first four submarines are expected to be completed by 2023 and remaining four by 2028. The 8 new submarines will add significant power punch to Pakistan’s Navy.
While the finalization of Project-75I will take couple of more years, it will be prudent decision to continue the construction line of Kalvari class submarine and retrofit the AIP system.
While a forward movement is expected on both aircraft engines and long-range submarines this year with France, the two strategic allies will be discussing the Indo-Pacific as France is ready to help India in ocean bed mapping and underwater drones and sensors. /end
(i wish you all a happy new year 2023!)
Its having so many other EU contents. Dont think other EU contries will agree for that. But again, i dont wanna happen it in near future or else HAL will advertise as mmrca2 replacement.
i'm surprised.
the SCALP has been exported to many countries.
(Livemint, 2016):
(...) These combat aircraft, delivery of which are expected to start in 36 months and be completed in 66 months, comes equipped with state-of-the-art missiles like ‘Meteor’ and ‘Scalp’. With the air-to-air Meteor missiles, Indian Air Force will be able to hit targets as far as 150km away, compared with 80km it has so far been capable of targeting. Scalp, an air-to-ground cruise missile with a range in excess of 300km, will also gives the IAF an edge over its adversaries (...)
Not sure if it was mentioned in the video but ISRO still uses a variant of the Vikas engine which was transferred from Safran all the way back in the Seventies with full ToT in exchange for 100yrs of development. So, we already have some co-operation in this field. I would also like to see co-operation between DSA and Armée de l'air et de l'espace in surveillance and intelligence gathering.
(thehindu, apr.22)
France wants to keep engagement with China, India on Ukraine solution despite differences
“Fingers crossed” for next Rafale fighter jet deal for Navy, say Paris sources ahead of PM visitAs planning gets underway for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State visit to France in July, hopes are rising in Paris for a “big ticket” deal that would further strengthen relations between the two countries. While Mr. Modi’s visit has not yet been publicly announced, The Hindu had reported that he has been invited by French President Emmanuelle Macron to be the chief guest for the July 14 national day parade. The visit is expected to discuss agreements in a number of fields including trade, defence climate change, energy.
The two leaders, who will meet twice this year, including in September when Mr. Macron attends the G-20 summit in Delhi, are also expected to try and break the “logjam” in the deal for six nuclear power reactors for India’s Jaitapur project, which is still stuck over pricing and liability issues.
In addition, officials said the two sides would continue to discuss “convergences” in their policies towards issues like the Ukraine war and Indo-Pacific strategy vis-à-vis China. Referring to criticism over French Macron’s recent visit to China and his assertion of “strategic autonomy” over being what he called a “vassal state” to the United States, French diplomatic sources said that there had been “no change” in France’s policy towards Taiwan.
According to the sources, who spoke to The Hindu as part of a larger delegation of journalists from countries of the Indo-Pacific region invited to Paris, Mr. Macron’s visit had succeeded in three objectives on Ukraine: to secure China’s support for the Ukrainian people, to seek support for conflict resolution, and to explain the “strategic consequences of any military support to Russia in the war”.
The diplomatic sources said that France also wants India to talk to Moscow and keep up the engagement as Europe seeks solutions to the Ukraine conflict. Rather than issuing “threats”, they said they want India and China to join the United Nations “consensus against the war”, when asked about whether India’s refusal to shift away from its traditional partnership with Russia would cast a shadow on the visit.
“I think today, a lot of people understand why certain powers in the Global South, as we say, have taken that attitude and don’t want to be automatically aligned on the US or on anybody else, for that matter. And I think we’re ready to live with it,” said senior journalist Pierre Haski, who travelled to Beijing for the visit.
However, the spotlight of PM Modi’s visit will be on whether India will announce a deal to purchase French company Dassault Aviation’s “Rafale M” during the visit, which is in competition with US-made Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet jets. Significantly, PM Modi is due to travel to the US in June, and France in July. Responding to questions about a number of French defence news agency reports on the possible deal, sources in Paris told The Hindu, that “fingers were crossed”, but that such big deals take “time”.
The sources said the PM’s visit is expected, but has not yet been announced, given scheduling details to be worked out. Apart from travels to Japan and Australia for the G-7 outreach and Quad summit, PM Modi is due to visit Washington DC for his first ever State visit in June and is expected to host Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping amongst other leaders at the SCO summit in Delhi in early July.
Since last year, the Indian Navy has fast-tracked a process to procure 26 jets to operate off its aircraft carriers and both Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation Rafale-M have been evaluated and the report has been submitted to the Government. Speaking on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue in March, Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar said both F/A-18 and Rafale-M meet the requirements of the Navy and the selection between them would be a Government decision, but officials indicated that Rafale-M may have the edge in terms of fitment on the Navy’s carriers as well as commonality with the Indian Air Force Rafales for spares etc..
If announced, the deal for the Naval fighter jets would be the first of its kind since PM Modi announced, during his visit to Paris in 2015, that the Indian air force would procure 126 Rafale jets. Despite controversies over other issues like the pricing and changes in offset policy for the 2015 deal, the air force has consistently held that the fighter jets, which were first identified for the deal in 2012, have been a “good fit” for its military requirements. In exercises that are underway in France this month (April 17-May 5), the IAF also flew four Rafales for their first overseas military exercises with the US and other European countries.
India is also looking at procuring six advanced conventional submarines to arrest its depleting submarine strength and also speeding up its indigenous SSN nuclear submarine programme and sources indicating that some discussions have been held between Paris and Delhi in this regard. /end
Indian tri-services contingent leaves for French Bastille Day Parade
(ET, jul.06)The tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French counterparts has left for France on Thursday.
The parade will witness a 269-member tri-services contingent of the Indian Armed Forces marching alongside their French counterparts, the Ministry of Defence said.
The Fete Nationale Francaise is celebrated on July 14 or the National Day in France. It is also known as the Bastille Day as this day is the anniversary of Storming of the Bastille in 1789 during the French Revolution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited as the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade in France.
The Ministry further stated that, the association of the Indian and the French Armies dates back to World War 1. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers participated in the war and almost 74,000 of them fought in the muddy trenches to never return again, while another 67,000 were wounded. Indian troops valiantly fought on French soil also.
Their courage, valour and supreme sacrifice not only thwarted the enemy but also significantly contributed towards winning the war. Later World War 2 witnessed a whopping 2.5 million Indian soldiers making significant contributions in various theatres of the war from Asia to Africa and Europe. This also included the battlefields of France, the release said.
The Indian troops established their valour in these wars which was well recognised in the form of several gallantry awards being bestowed on the Indian soldiers.
This year, both countries are celebrating 25 years of Strategic Partnership. The armies of both countries have been participating in joint exercises and sharing their experiences. Over the years, India and France have become reliable defence partners.
The Indian Army contingent comprising of 77 marching personnel and 38 members of the Band is being led by Captain Aman Jagtap. Indian Navy contingent is being led by Commander Vrat Baghel and the Indian Air Force contingent by Wing Commander Sudha Reddy. The Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force will also form part of the flypast during the parade.
The Army contingent is being represented by the Punjab Regiment which is one of the oldest Regiments of the Indian Army. The troops of the Regiment have participated in both the World Wars as well as the post-independence operations. In World War-I, they were awarded 18 Battle and Theatre Honours.
The gallant soldiers fought in Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, Palestine, Egypt, China, Hongkong, Damascus and France. In France, they took part in an offensive near Neuve Chapelle in September 1915 earning the Battle Honours 'Loos' and 'France and Flanders'. In World War II, they earned 16 Battle Honours and 14 Theatre Honours.
The Rajputana Rifles Regiment Band is accompanying the contingent. The Regiment is the seniormost rifle regiment of the Indian Army. Most of its battalions have a long and glorious history. They have taken part in some of the bloodiest battles in many theatres of the world. They have demonstrated exemplary contributions in both World Wars.
During the World War-II, the battalions of the Regiment fought in every theatre where the Indian Army was involved. They are the recipient of six Victoria Cross prior to independence. The band of the Regiment was raised in 1920 at Nasirabad (Rajasthan). /end
