- By Ajeet Kumar
- Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:45 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India is expected to seal the procurement of 26 naval variants of Rafale jets and three Scorpene submarines from France to further crank up its naval prowess. Although the defence ministry hasn't confirmed the deal, it is expected that the Rs 90,000 crore deal will be finalised during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing visit to Paris. Prime Minister Modi is currently in France to attend a summit on artificial intelligence.
PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold bilateral talks on the sideline of the summit, being held on February 10 and 11. According to news agency PTI, all the two deals are in the final stage of finalisation and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will have to look at them.
Navy Chief on Rafale and Submarines deal
Earlier in December last year, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, addressing the annual Navy Day press conference, also confirmed the same. However, he did not mention that the deal would be finalised during PM Modi's visit to Paris. "The Indian Navy is hoping to sign the deals for Rafale-Marine and three additional submarines Scorpene submarines by next month," he said.
In July 2023, the defence ministry approved the purchase of 22 Rafale (marine) jets from France, primarily for deployment on board the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
The ministry had also cleared the procurement of three Scorpene submarines from France. Under the Indian Navy’s Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have already been constructed in India by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in cooperation with the Naval Group of France.
India-France Rafale deal
The procurement of the Rafale (M) jets along with associated ancillary equipment including weapon systems and spares would be based on an inter-governmental agreement (IGA).
The Indian Air Force bought 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in fly-away condition. There is a thinking in the IAF that it should go for at least two more squadrons of the Rafale jets.
The defence and strategic ties between India and France have been on an upswing in the last few years.
In July 2023, India and France announced a raft of ground-breaking defence cooperation projects including the joint development of jet and helicopter engines. The two strategic partners also had expressed commitment to cooperate in the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including for the benefit of third countries.
(With inputs from agency)