By Sangeeta Saxena
Paris. 14 July 2023. Day 2 of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France ended with an expected announcement, which was heresay when we had left India to cover the Bastille Day parade. Indian government declared the selection of the Navy Rafale thereby set to fill it’s gap of the latest-generation fighter in the naval aviation wing.
This choice was made following a successful trial campaign in India, which the Navy Rafale used to show that it fully complied with the operational requirements of the Indian Navy and was perfectly suited to the peculiarities of its aircraft carrier. The trial campaign was part of an international competition that the Indian authorities had initiated.
The 36 Rafale already in service are completely satisfying the Indian Air Force, and the 26 Rafale from the Indian Navy will eventually join them, making India the first nation to make the same military decision as France by operating both versions of the aircraft to help consolidate its superiority in the air and on the seas and ensure its sovereignty.
“As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of our partnership with the Indian Forces, I would like to thank the Indian authorities for this new mark of confidence and pledge, on behalf of Dassault Aviation, that we will fully meet the Indian Navy’s expectations with the Rafale”, said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, in a written statement.
The Rafale’s superiority, the remarkable quality of the relationship between Dassault Aviation and the Indian Forces, and the significance of the strategic partnership between France and India are all confirmed by this choice, said the statement.
For a multi-billion dollar deal to deliver 26 aircraft to the Indian Navy for US $6.6 million, Rafale M and Hornets have been engaged in a dog fight, which eventually France won. 18 single-seaters and 8 twin-seaters will be part of the Navy’s initial acquisition. These aircraft will be flown out of both the INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya aircraft carriers.
It may be recalled that the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, gave its approval for the purchase of three additional Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines from France as well as 26 Rafale-M fighters to operate off aircraft carriers as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his trip to France.
According to a Defence Ministry statement, “The DAC granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft from the French Government along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training, and logistic support for the Indian Navy based on Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA). After considering all pertinent factors, including the cost of similar aircraft purchased by other nations, the price and other parameters of the acquisition will be discussed with the French government.”
The Ministry added that following careful discussion, integration of equipment with Indian design and the creation of an MRO center for diverse systems will be included in the contract agreements.
India and France are celebrating 25 years of strategic partnership made of trust and friendship, which are only getting stronger with time, stated French President Emmanuel Macron.
The joint press conference addressed by the two leaders infact disappointingly did not result into this announcement. The tame discussions on the strategic partnership, Indo-Pacific, HAL-Safran already declared at Le Bourget last month and all past, present and future of this strong relationship between the two friendly nations.
When asked by the media why the Rafale M purchase had not been announced, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra responded, “The metrics of defense partnership are not defined by a single acquisition or non-acquisition, a single procurement, or a transaction.”
And a few hours post Dassault Aviation released a press statement announcing the deal.
