India and France on Friday decided to extend their defence cooperation to jointly develop a combat aircraft engine as part of the road map agreed for the next 25 years of the strategic partnership by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
However, no mention was made of the progress in the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the Indian navy that the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had cleared in accordance with an inter-governmental agreement on Thursday.
An earlier deal with France for 36 Rafale fighter aircraft had generated controversy in both countries, with the Congress personally targeting Modi with corruption accusations.
Since the DAC had approved the latest Rafale proposal on the day Modi landed in Paris, expectations were high about some development on this front.
The only mention of Rafale was in the road map, titled “Horizon 2047: 25th Anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Towards A Century of India-France Relations”. It was just an acknowledgement of the implementation of the earlier deal.
“In line with their outstanding cooperation in military aviation spanning over five decades, India and France welcome the timely delivery of the 36 Rafale ordered by India,” the document said.
According to Thursday’s announcement of the DAC approval, the price and other terms of purchase would be negotiated with the French government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including the comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries.
Even when asked specific questions on the Rafale procurement and the progress in the discussions, the government avoided being pinned down. It said that the 2047 Horizon document looked at security and sovereignty in a holistic and comprehensive manner rather than as a set of individual transactions.
While foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra was briefing the media on the France visit, he was asked whether there had been any forward movement on the Rafale Marine, when the intent to buy them would become a firm order, and whether there had been any discussion on their procurement.
“The matrix of defence partnership is not defined by a single acquisition or a non-acquisition, single procurement or a single transaction,” he replied.
Soon after the India-France bilateral engagement, Dassault, the French company that makes the Rafale aircraft, issued a statement that said: “Indian government announced the selection of the Navy Rafale to equip the Indian Navy with a latest-generation fighter.”
The statement, which appeared to be based on the DAC announcement, said: “The Indian Navy’s 26 Rafale will eventually join the 36 Rafale already in service, which are giving full satisfaction to the Indian Air Force, making India the first country to make the same military choice as France by operating both versions of the aircraft….”
French company Safran, which supplies key equipment to the Rafale Marine, chipped in with a tweet congratulating India and Dassault on the selection.
Apart from the joint development of a combat aircraft engine, the two countries will work together on the engine of the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
“To enable progress on the IMRH programme, a shareholders’ agreement between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India, and Safran Helicopter Engine, France, has been concluded for engine development,” the Horizon document said, marking this as testimony to a bilateral commitment to co-production and co-development.
