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reported by: Akash Sharma
Last updated: July 10, 2023 at 23:06 IST
The Prime Minister is the guest of honor at the French Bastille Day Parade, a prestigious event showcasing France’s rich history and military prowess. (image file: PTI)
Sources said that India is expected to buy 26 naval versions of the Rafale aircraft, including 4 training aircraft.
In a significant display of the strong bilateral relations between India and France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to start a visit to Paris on July 13-14.
The Prime Minister is the guest of honor at the French Bastille Day Parade, a prestigious event showcasing France’s rich history and military prowess.
As France has long been an important defense partner of India, Prime Minister Modi’s visit is of great importance, with several important deals expected to be announced.
Among the expected agreements are the purchase of 26 Rafale-M aircraft for INS Vikrant and a submarine deal.
Rafal Marin for INS Vikrant
India was looking to acquire aircraft for the domestic aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. While the F/A 18 Super Hornets and Rafale M have been shortlisted for this role, the latter is said to be the final selection.
Sources indicate that this was approved by the Defense Procurement Board only a few days ago.
The sources added that India is expected to purchase 26 naval copies of Rafale aircraft, 4 of which will be training aircraft. It is expected to be announced during the Prime Minister’s visit to France.
An Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for these purchases is to be granted at a meeting of the Defense Acquisition Board shortly after the Secretary of Defense returns to the country.
“What we need are our aircraft carrier aircraft. While India is working on its Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter programme, it will take time and therefore, a single F/A 18 Super Hornets or Rafale-M had to be selected to meet the requirements.” .
The prime minister’s recent visit to the United States almost confirmed the final choice. However, it is expected to be announced now.
Submarines under project 75
Another aspect of the visit is the submarine project where three Scorpene-class submarines are expected to be acquired under the redundancy clause by the Navy as part of Project 75. This will be in addition to the six Scorpene-class submarines already built in partnership with Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). run by the state.
It will also support India’s aspirations to build more submarines to deal with the notorious intentions of neighbors as the country is currently outnumbered by program delays.
Other major announcements
Besides these important deals, an aircraft engine deal is in the pipeline. Both countries are expected to jointly work on the engines that will power India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). There is also buzz around the expected discussion on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant project too.
India Crawl Manuals
The parade in France will also see the march of a three-service contingent of 269 members of the Indian Armed Forces along with their French counterparts. The armies of the two countries participate in joint exercises and exchange experiences. Over the years, India and France have become reliable defense partners.
The Indian Army battalion, consisting of 77 members and 38 members of the squad, is commanded by Capt. Aman Jagtap. The Indian Naval Division is led by Cmdr. Furat Baghel and Squadron Leader Sindu Reddy the Indian Air Force unit. Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force will also be part of the flypast during the parade.
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