The Rafale-M jets are meant to operate from the Indian Navy’s two aircraft carriers. Photo: dassault-aviation.com
Deliveries of the Rafale-M for the Indian Navy would begin in four years once the contract is signed, which is set to be done in the next couple of months when the French Defence Minister visits India, according to official sources. This also means that in 2029 the Indian Navy would begin receiving both the Rafale-M jets and also the MQ-9B armed high altitude long endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) contracted from the U.S. last year.
The deal is wrapped up in all manners and is now a matter of when it is signed, a source in the know said. Deliveries will begin 48 months from contract date and will be completed in two years from that, sources added.
The Navy is keen that the deal be inked in this financial year ending March 31. To this sources said that this is a government-to-government deal and funds can be blocked even if the deal is signed in April.
The dates for the French Minister’s visit are still not finalised, either in March or April, sources added.
There are two mega-defence deals in the pipeline between India and France, the Rafael-M jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation and three additional Scorpene-class conventional submarines by Naval Group, together worth over $10 billion.
In December, in response to a question from The Hindu at the annual press conference Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi stated that both the deals are in the final steps and one step short of clearance from Cabinet Committee on Security. “It is just matter of completing the formalities of the acquisition process and we expect that if not this month, next month, hopefully, this [Scorpène submarines] and Rafale-M deals should be signed,” he had stated.
On July 13, 2023, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was enroute to Paris, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of 26 Rafale-M fighters and three additional Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines. The 26 Rafale deal includes 22 single seater Rafale-M and four twin-seater Rafale trainers (which are not carrier compatible). The 26 jets are meant to fill the gap in numbers till the under development indigenous Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) is inducted into service. The Navy currently operates two aircraft carriers – INS Vikramaditya procured from Russia and the indigenously built INS Vikrant which was commissioned in September 2022 both of which operate the MIG-29K jets in service.
Last October, India signed a nearly $3.5 billion contract for 31 MQ-9B – 15 Sea Guardians for the Indian Navy and 16 Sky Guardians, eight each for the Army and Air Force – under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme of the US Government. The French Defence Minister is scheduled to visit India in the next two months when the deal is expected to be signed.
The joint statement issued after Mr. Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron two days back said that the two leaders discussed ongoing discussions in missiles, helicopter and jet engines, with French company Safran, collaborating with Indian Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to develop engines for next-generation copters and jets.
Published – February 13, 2025 10:18 pm IST