France made a big ticket offer to India involving 100% transfer of technology for 110 kilo-Newton thrust aircraft engines required in India’s flagship project–Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)– an Indian single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather fifth-generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft and underwater drones with full capabilities.
These are unmanned underwater vehicles that are submersible, cost-effective and can work in risky and challenging environments, which in India’s case will be the Indian Ocean Region. Offering technical advantage in military operations, underwater drones will be a big win for Indian Navy’s surveillance capabilities.
India- France’s strategic defence partnership is set to take a giant leap forward as the French government is ready to discuss joint manufacturing of nuclear attack submarines with India.
In the first bilateral engagement between India and France after French President Emmanuel Macron’s New Delhi visit in January of this year, National Security Adviser of India Ajit Doval is expected to meet President Macron during his visit to Paris, to put in a word about India’s efforts to bring an end to Russia-Russia-Ukraine war.
As Doval embarks on a tour carrying PM Modi’s peace plan to Ukraine’s allies, it’s important to note that the French President also has been supportive of India’s efforts to end the conflict.
This is not the first time France has supported India’s maritime defence capabilities to bolster its position against China in the Indian Ocean.
As India looks to buy three Scorpene class submarines from France for the Indian Navy, Naval Group– the French partner for the project said that the submarines’ combat management system will be indigenously made in India by Bharat Electronics Limited with supporting French architecture.
Naval Group’s Executive Vice President Vincent Martinot-Lagarde told the Economic Times, “Based on the present plan, the heart of the submarine, which is the combat system will be an indigenous one from Bharat Electronics Limited based on French architecture. This will be a crucial step towards Indigenous content.”
Indian Navy is meanwhile trying to work out negotiations for a deal with Mazgaon Dockyards which is partnering with the French Naval Group to build these three Scorpene class submarines.
