The biggest defence deal ever... That's why for India, France is the Russia of the Western world.

News Topical, Digital Desk : French President Emmanuel Macron is in India. Ahead of his visit, India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets. It is expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Macron will discuss finalizing this defense deal, worth approximately ₹3.25 lakh crore. The Rafale deal could be signed within the next few months.

Let us know why India trusted the Rafale fighter aircraft and France for the biggest defence deal till date and what are the hidden implications in it in terms of the geopolitical scenario?

• 18 aircraft will arrive directly from France in ready-to-fly condition
• Under the proposed 114 Rafale procurement deal, the rest will be made in India.
• 40-50% of the Rafale fighter jets to be manufactured in India will be indigenous.

Great performance in Operation Sindoor

The Indian Air Force already has 36 Rafales in its fleet. These fighter jets demonstrated their capability during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May. Additionally, Rafales have been deployed for the French Air Force in various countries. Recognizing its capabilities, more than 10 countries have either incorporated the Rafales into their air forces or placed orders for them.

Currently, Dassault Aviation, the Rafale manufacturer, has a long order book of around 500 aircraft, which could take the company about a decade to fulfill.

Joint production of Rafale in India

Under the proposed deal, approximately 18 aircraft will arrive directly from France in ready-to-fly condition. The remaining fighter jets will be manufactured in India. Work is underway to establish an assembly line for this purpose. 40 to 50 percent of the material in these aircraft will be indigenous. This means that an ecosystem will be created in India to manufacture state-of-the-art fighter aircraft like the Rafale. In the future, Dassault may also export Rafale aircraft manufactured in India to other countries. This will also benefit Indian companies working in the defense sector.

Maintenance will be easy

Safran, the company that manufactures the Rafale jet engines, is building an MRO facility in Hyderabad. This means that if Rafale jet engines need to be overhauled, they will no longer have to be transported to France; this work will be done in India.

Additionally, this facility will be useful for other countries that possess the Rafale. The Indian Air Force already flies the Rafale. Therefore, our pilots are already familiar with it, and the basic maintenance infrastructure is already in place. Therefore, there will be no need to invest separately in pilot training or other infrastructure.

No terms and conditions with the platform

India is also comfortable with defense deals with France because France does not impose conditions on its defense equipment, including against whom it will or will not be used. This French policy is conducive to India's strategic autonomy. This is also why India has had a positive experience with France as a reliable defense supplier.

Diversification in defense supplies

India is moving towards achieving self-reliance in defense, but this could take about a decade. Until then, India is emphasizing diversification of defense supplies. This means purchasing defense equipment from multiple countries rather than relying on a single country.

This also means that India wants to reduce its dependence on Russia. Currently, India is purchasing defense equipment from other countries besides Russia, including France, the United States, and Israel. The advantage of this is that no country can arm us by weaponizing our defense needs.

Trustworthy Supplier 

France has been a trusted friend and defense supplier to India. In 1980, the United States decided to sell Pakistan the F-16, a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft. The arrival of the F-16 would significantly enhance the Pakistani Air Force's capabilities.

In such a situation, the Indian Air Force saw the potential of the French Mirage-2000 fighter jet to counter the F-16. India purchased 40 Mirage fighter jets from France, and France, understanding India's needs, supplied the aircraft. At that time, no other Western country was willing to sell sophisticated weapons to India.

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