By Pierre Tran
Paris – President Emmanuel Macron welcomed on July 14 the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, as guest of honor to a prestige-laden military parade marking the 1789 French revolution, a day after New Delhi green lighted high-level talks to order 26 Rafale fighter jets and three attack submarines for the Indian navy.
Modi attended the televised event to mark the sun-soaked national holiday which celebrates a storming of the Bastille prison, sparking a revolution which led to the execution of King Louis XVI by the guillotine.
Three Indian air force Rafales flew with a Rafale from the French service in the highly orchestrated fly past, and 240 personnel from the Indian air force, army, and navy marched in the parade down the Champs Elysées.
Foreign tourists attended the parade, and French nationals were heard questioning why public spectators were barred from entering the famous avenue to watch the parade close up, rather than catch glimpses of the military showcase from neighbouring streets.
It has been on, off, then on again for the Indian arms announcement to coincide with Modi’s two day official visit, with the Bastille day parade serving as the media high point.
Finally, Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh said July 13 the high-level Defence Acquisition Council had that day approved plans to order 26 Dassault Aviation Rafale, and three more diesel-electric Scorpene boats from Naval Group, a French warship builder.
It remains for the Indian and French authorities to negotiate financial details, in what looks like a government-to-government deal, with Reuters reporting the total deal for fighters and submarines could carry a price tag of $9.75 billion.
“The price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the French government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries,” the Indian defence ministry said in a July 13 statement.
The prospective order consists of 26 Rafale M, a naval model with strengthened undercarriage for flying from an aircraft carrier. That planned order includes four Rafale for training navy pilots, Reuters reported.
France winning that fighter deal suggests India could order more French missiles and powered smart bombs, opening up sales prospects for MBDA and Safran.
This year marks 25 years of a French strategic partnership agreement with India, which includes defense cooperation, a senior officer of the Direction Générale des Relations Internationales et de la Stratégie (DGRIS), told journalists July 6. DGRIS serves as a think tank for international relations for the armed forces ministry.
Paris is keen to promote close ties with New Delhi to help strengthen the French presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
French Fighter for Indian Aircraft Carrier
The Indian navy will fly the Rafale from its new Vikrant carrier, built with a ski lift deck for short take-off and landing. The navy also sails the Vikramaditya, a modernized version of a Russian carrier, which dates back to the Soviet era.
For France to win an export deal for its carrier-based Rafale has been reported as an extraordinary feat, beating out the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Harrier.
The contracts with France could be signed next year, media reports said, but it remains to be seen when the deals will be sealed as it has been previously noted New Delhi is inclined to stretch out negotiations.
Three Indian air force Rafale flew with a Rafale from the French service in the Bastille day fly past, just after the Patrouille de France display team opened the public event, flying the Big Nine formation.
A British RAF Typhoon and two Polish F-16, elements of the Nato enhanced air policing team, took part in the fly past, flying with a Rafale and Mirage 2000-5.
The French Rafale fighter had competed in the Indian navy competition against the Super Hornet, and Russia had reportedly offered its MiG-29K and MiG 29KUB carrier fighters for the Vikrant and Vikramaditya.
If New Delhi had picked the MiG fighter, even upgraded with a more powerful engine and active electronically scanned array radar, that would likely have drawn severe criticism from western allies, which have rallied around Ukraine’s struggle against Russian forces.
There were reported Indian concerns over the Super Hornet, which is nearing the end of manufacture in 2025 – unless Boeing won an export order.
There was a strong U.S. presence at the Bangalore air show in February, Reuters reported, with Boeing pitching its Super Hornet to the Indian navy, and Lockheed Martin presenting its F-21, an F-16 modified for the Indian air force.
There was close interest on social media of the Indian navy’s ski-jump tests of the Super Hornet and Rafale at the shore-based test facility at Goa, western India.
More Scorpene Boats
The planned order for three more Scorpene boats would be in addition to the six Scorpene subs ordered for the Indian navy in 2005. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders will build the three new boats if the deal goes ahead.
The navy has commissioned five of the Scorpene diesel-electric boats, with the sixth sub undergoing sea trials and due to enter service next year.
India awarded that Project 75 deal, worth $3.75 billion, to Naval Group in 2005. The submarine project ran some four years behind schedule, and was part of Modi’s Make in India policy drive, seeking to boost jobs and secure transfer of technology.
The India navy is looking to add a further six, more advanced attack submarines with its competition for Project 75 (India). German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is seen as a serious contender in that tender, which seeks extensive technology transfer, an advanced air independent propulsion system, and advanced missiles and torpedoes.
Dassault last year completed delivery of 36 Rafale fighters to the Indian air force, meeting the timetable despite the lock down stemming from the Covid pandemic.
The French family-controlled company won the 2016 fighter order, worth €7.8 billion ($8.7 billion), and the Indian air force is looking to add more fighters to the three Rafale squadrons.
India has previously had effectively two air forces, namely French Mirage, and Russian MiG and Sukhoi fighter fleets, pursuing its policy of non-alignment in the Cold War.
That reliance on Russia has waned, as could be seen with Modi going to Washington D.C. last month to meet president Joe Biden, part of India’s plan to boost its place in the world, counter the power of China, and strengthen its border with Pakistan.
Featured Photo: PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 3, 2017 : The President of France Emmanuel Macron welcoming the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for a working visit. Credit: Shutterstock.