New Delhi (AFP) – India has signed a contract to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets from France, New Delhi’s defence ministry said Monday. The multi-billion-dollar deal will include both single and twin-seat planes. When delivered, these jets would join the 36 French-made Rafale fighters already acquired by New Delhi as part of its efforts to rapidly modernise its military hardware.
“The governments of India and France have signed an inter-governmental agreement for the procurement of 26 Rafale Aircraft,” the defence ministry stated. The jets, made by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation, are expected to operate from Indian-made aircraft carriers, replacing the Russian MiG-29K jets. “It includes training, simulator, associated equipment, weapons, and performance-based logistics,” as well as 22 single-seater and four twin-seater jets, said India’s defence ministry. Additionally, it includes extra equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The Indian government announced its intention to procure 26 Rafales in 2023, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France for the Bastille Day celebrations. Despite historical ties with Russia as its key supplier for military equipment, India has diversified in recent years with key purchases from France, as well as from the United States and Israel. Dassault stated that the jets will provide India with “state-of-the-art capabilities” and an “active role in guaranteeing national sovereignty and consolidating India’s role as a major international player.” India’s navy is the first user outside France of the Rafale Marine jet, according to the company.
– Tensions with Pakistan –
Monday’s deal comes as India’s relations with arch-rival Pakistan plummet to fresh lows. New Delhi has accused Pakistan of backing the deadliest attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir since 2000—claims that Islamabad denies. The two countries have exchanged gunfire, diplomatic barbs, expelled each other’s citizens, and closed their borders since the April 22 attack, which resulted in 26 fatalities. Analysts indicate there is a serious risk of this crisis escalating into military confrontation.
The earlier contract for 36 Rafale aircraft, agreed in 2016, was worth approximately $9.4 billion. Many global arms suppliers view the world’s most populous nation—and fifth-largest economy—as a key market. India has become the world’s largest arms importer, with purchases steadily rising to account for nearly 10 percent of all imports globally between 2019 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
India is also attentive to its northern neighbor, China, particularly since a deadly clash between their troops in 2020. This event sparked a wave of defence reforms in the country, leading to new contracts with foreign suppliers and simplified laws to promote domestic manufacturing and co-production of critical military hardware. In this decade, India has opened a vast new helicopter factory, launched its first homemade aircraft carrier, and conducted a successful long-range hypersonic missile test.
This focus on defence has fostered a growing arms export market, which reached sales of $2.63 billion last year. While this is still a small amount compared to established players, it marks a 30-fold increase over the past decade. India has deepened its defence cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including within the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan, and Australia.
© 2024 AFP
