The Indian Navy and Dassault Aviation are close to finalizing the deal for 26 Rafale M fighters. The French Aerospace maker hopes that India could become the second largest operator of Rafale fighter jets if it wins the contract to supply 114 fighters under Medium Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).

Dassault Aviation is setting up a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Uttar Pradesh to support French-origin fighter jets in the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF operates 50 Mirage-2000 aircraft inducted in the 1980s and 36 Rafale fighter aircraft inducted in the last few years.

If Dassault Aviation’s optimism becomes reality and it bags the mother of all defense deals – the contract to supply 114 MRFA to the IAF, India’s Rafale fleet could expand to 176 jets. In comparison, the French Air Force operates 185 Rafales, and the French Navy has 46 in service.

The Indian Navy’s requirement could also increase if its second aircraft carrier enters service before the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working on.

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Dassault’s projections for 2040 include expectations that the Indian Navy could surpass the French Navy to become the largest operator of Rafale M fighters.

Dassault expects additional orders for 31 Rafale M fighter jets. The Indian Navy had initially planned to buy 57 of these French aircraft, but this was reduced to 26 units after DRDO assured it would deliver TEDBF on time.

The French role fighter jet Rafale struggled to find a buyer for a long time. Apart from the measly order from Egypt and Qatar, Rafale’s order book had nothing to boast about.

Rafale, which means “gust of wind” in French, failed to win contracts from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Singapore, and Switzerland. Its high price tag has been a major deciding factor against it.

When the Indian Air Force (IAF), the fourth largest in the world, chose Rafale over Eurofighter Typhoons in 2012, it caused a windfall of orders for the French combat jets. Since then, the UAE has signed a historic deal for 80 Rafales.

The aircraft development took a long time. The demonstrator flew on July 4, 1986. The program was officially launched in January 1988, the prototype took to the air on May 19, 1991, and the first Rafale F1 was delivered to the French Navy exactly a decade later, on May 18, 2001.

Since then, France has deployed this combat jet in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Mali, where it flew its longest mission in 2013, spanning nine hours and 35 minutes. From Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq & Syria, Rafale jets “outclassed” its enemies everywhere and have never-ever been shot down.

The aircraft manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, says that Rafale can carry out “the widest range of roles” with the smallest number of aircraft. It can carry long-range air-to-air Meteor, Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) MICA, long-range standoff missile SCALP, anti-ship missile AM39 Exocet, Laser-guided bombs, and classic bombs.

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The Indian government has been criticized for buying the expensive fighter jet, but Air Force officials say that the weapon complement of the aircraft makes it worth its price.

“India had nothing to counter Pakistan’s AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile). The IAF got the fighter jets with Mica & Meteor to counter AMRAAM and SCALP long-range standoff missiles that give it the capability to be launched from your territory well outside the envelope of enemy’s air defense,” a retired IAF official told the EurAsian Times, requesting anonymity.

“Since no one was offering similar weapons to India, no price can be too high to get one’s hand on it,” the official added.

Burgeoning Indo-French Ties

India-France strategic ties are on an upward trajectory. In the upcoming strategic dialogue between Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and French Diplomatic Advisor Emmanuel Bonne, set to take place on September 30 in Paris, the two sides are expected to discuss the construction of nuclear attack submarines. Also on the table is the offer for 100 percent transfer of technology for 110 kilo-Newton thrust aircraft engines and underwater drones with full capabilities to India.

The two countries have seen a surge in defense partnerships as they pursue a multipolar world. Macron’s regular emphasis on “allied but not aligned” resonates with the Indian government’s regular promotion of “multi-alignment.”

India has been boosting its submarine strength, considering China’s looming threat. The French offer to support the construction of nuclear submarines has been a big boost for the indigenous submarine development program.

Also, Paris has offered a range of uncrewed systems in the air, surface, and underwater domains to enhance India’s ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) capabilities.

In September, the Kolkata-born Chairman of Safran Engines, Ross McInnes, offered a 100 percent technology transfer for engines when he visited India earlier in September.

In the 1970s, Safran helped the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) develop space rocket engines. Now, the offer is to jointly design, develop, certify, and produce 110 KN engines for future Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) projects.

The technology transfer also includes training Indians in advanced metallurgy. Media reports suggest that the jointly developed engine will be India’s sovereign property, which it can export to third countries without any restrictions.

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