India agrees in principle to purchase 26 Rafale aircraft from France
India has decided to order 26 Rafale Marine aircraft from Dassault. The order was made official during Narendra Modi's visit to Paris, this year's guest of honour at the 14 July ceremonies.
These are the first announcements of Narendra Modi's highly anticipated visit to Paris. India gave its agreement in principle to the purchase from France of 26 Rafale fighter jets, in the Navy version for aircraft carriers, and three Scorpène submarines, during a visit by the Indian Prime Minister to the capital, which is the guest of honour for the bastille parade on 14 July.
The Indian Defence Acquisition Council has approved these purchase proposals, the Indian Ministry of Defence said in a statement, adding that the price and other conditions were still to be negotiated with the French government. India is thus the first navy in the very small club of nations with aircraft carriers to acquire the French fighter.
These single-seat Rafales are intended for the INS Vikrant, the Indian Navy's brand new made-in-India aircraft carrier. They feature reinforced landing gear for catapulting and landing. Dassault's multi-role fighter is said to have convinced the Indian army more than Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, with which it was competing. The Indian Air Force already operates 36 Rafales.
Guaranteeing stability
The Indian Prime Minister and Emmanuel Macron are expected to agree on a series of defence agreements and a new joint strategy to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region. India has relied on French fighter jets for four decades now.
Prior to the Rafale in 2015, the country relied on the Mirage in the 1980s, which is still present in two air force squadrons. In 2005, India bought six Scorpene-class submarines from France for 188 billion rupees (€2.05 billion), the last of which will be commissioned next year.
"A pillar in the Indo-Pacific strategy
As the Elysée Palace pointed out this week, "India is one of the pillars of our Indo-Pacific strategy", a vast area covering the Indian and Pacific oceans, the scene of growing international tensions between Beijing and Washington, and where France has overseas interests and territories.
After speaking to the diaspora, Narendra Modi will have a private dinner with Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace and on Friday, in addition to the parade, he will have various meetings before the official dinner in the prestigious Louvre Museum with over 200 guests. A joint statement to the press is also planned. "Security cooperation, space, civil nuclear power, technology, anti-terrorism, cybersecurity, climate change, renewable energies... will be on the agenda of the two leaders' discussions", listed the Indian Foreign Secretary on Wednesday.
As the world's largest demographic power, an economic giant, a major emitter of greenhouse gases and a nuclear power, India is a heavyweight that cannot be ignored and is increasingly courted. A few weeks ago, Narendra Modi had the rare honour of a state visit to Washington.