TSAMTO, December 4th. India plans to sign agreements with France on the purchase of 26 Rafale-M carrier-based fighters and three additional Scorpen submarines by January 2025.
This was announced by the Commander of the Indian Navy, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, at a press conference held on December 2 on the eve of the Indian Navy Day.
Admiral Tripathi stressed the importance of this agreement in the context of strengthening the strategic defense partnership between India and France against the background of growing security threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
As previously reported by CAMTO, in July 2023, the Defense Procurement Council (DAC) of the Indian Ministry of Defense provided "approval for the purchase" (AoN) in France of 26 Rafale carrier-based fighters for the Indian Navy, as well as related auxiliary equipment, weapons, simulators, spare parts, documentation, crew training and logistical support. The purchase will be implemented within the framework of an intergovernmental agreement.
In addition, the contract is supposed to include clauses on the integration of equipment developed in India and the creation of a Center for Maintenance, Repair and Operation (MRO) of various systems.
The purchased multi-purpose carrier-based fighters are designed to equip the first national aircraft carrier of the Vikrant class (IAC-1), which was commissioned on September 2, 2022.
In the final stage of the competition, the French company Dassault Aviation, which offered the Rafale-M aircraft, beat the American Boeing with the F/A-18E/F Block.3 "Super Hornet".
On October 28, 2023, the Indian authorities officially informed France of their decision to purchase 26 Rafale fighters in the deck version for the country's Navy under an intergovernmental agreement. India has sent a letter of inquiry to the French Government, officially notifying them of its intentions. As expected, negotiations on the cost and other details of the purchase will begin after the Ministry of Defense receives a response from the French side.
In July 2023, the Indian Ministry of Defense announced that the purchase of aircraft, related equipment, weapons systems and spare parts will be implemented within the framework of an intergovernmental agreement, and the cost and other terms of delivery will be agreed with the French Government, taking into account all relevant aspects, including the comparative cost of similar aircraft in other countries.
The Indian Navy began formal negotiations on the final cost of acquiring 26 Rafale-M carrier-based fighters on May 30, 2024. It is planned to sign the agreement before the end of the year. The value of the potential contract is estimated at 4 billion. euros (less than 400 billion rupees), excluding armaments and maintenance contracts.
One of the key advantages of the Rafal-M when choosing it based on the results of the tender was its compatibility with the existing fleet of Rafal aircraft of the Indian Air Force. This commonality is expected to reduce the costs associated with spare parts and maintenance, since both aircraft use about 80% of the common components.
On July 13, 2023, the Defense Procurement Council (DAC) of the Indian Ministry of Defense granted "approval of the need for procurement" to AoN for the purchase of three additional Kalvari-class submarines (Scorpen of the French Naval Group) in the "Buy (Indian" category, which will be built at the enterprise of the Indian company Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). Negotiations are currently ongoing. As the Economic Times newspaper reported on June 24, 2024, the potential value of the deal is estimated at $419 million. It is assumed that the new submarines will be larger in displacement and equipped with more modern systems than their predecessors.
The purpose of the construction of new NAPS is to expand the capabilities of the Indian Navy's submarine fleet. MDL has committed to ensuring that at least 60% of submarine components are supplied by national companies, including suppliers from the small and medium-sized business sectors. It is expected that the purchase will lead to the transfer of a significant amount of technology to the military-industrial complex of India and will allow the implementation of a national submarine project in the future.
Currently, five Kalvari-class submarines have been transferred to the Indian Navy. It is expected that the last submarine of the first batch will be delivered at the end of this year. At the same time, the Indian Ministry of Defense is promoting the "Project 75I", intending to build six more non-nuclear submarines at national capacities.
