https://sputniknews.in/20230710/does-indias-purchase-of-rafael-ms-signal-rift-between-france--nato-allies-2922255.html
Does India's Purchase of Rafael-Ms Signal Rift Between France & NATO Allies?
Does India's Purchase of Rafael-Ms Signal Rift Between France & NATO Allies?
Sputnik India
New Delhi's reported decision to acquire 26 Rafale-M fighter jets for the INS Vikrant will lead to better integration between its Navy and the Air Force, a military veteran has said.
2023-07-10T16:27+0530
2023-07-10T16:27+0530
2023-07-10T16:44+0530
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New Delhi's reported decision to acquire 26 Rafale-M fighter jets for the INS Vikrant will lead to better integration between its Navy and the Air Force, a military veteran has said.The comments of Commodore Anil Jai Singh, a submarine specialist who spent nearly three decades in India's blue water force, come days ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Paris where he's expected to finalize the deal with French President Emmanuel Macron.Modi to Visit France on Bastille DayThe Indian leader will be visiting France for two days on July 13 and 14, where he's reportedly set to sign two mega-billion defense contracts - one for the Rafale-Ms and another for three diesel-electric conventional submarines.For India, the two contracts are vital for enhancing its security apparatus in the Indian Ocean Region, especially at a time when contenders have been expanding their maritime capabilities at a fast pace.France Still Recovering From Submarine SpatIn September 2022, Australia reneged from a contract to acquire 12 new diesel-electric submarines from France in what was reportedly a deal worth a whopping $66 billion. Subsequently, Canberra formally announced the formation of a trilateral security partnership called AUKUS with the United Kingdom and the United States and opted to acquire nuclear-powered subs from its two strategic partners. France termed the development as a betrayal from its North Atlantic allies.In this context, India's reported naval fighter jet and submarine acquisition from France could further intensify the existing rift between Paris and its NATO partners, as Washington has been trying to lure New Delhi into its camp and offered a wide range of technology transfers to locally manufacture many critical weapons systems, including fighter jet engines.Against this backdrop, Singh, who serves as the vice-president of the New Delhi-based naval think-tank, Indian Maritime Foundation, stated that the competition was between Rafale-M and the US' F-18 Hornet fighter jets. According to him, while Both warplanes passed the trials which were held in India, it was a question of the Navy deciding which is the better aircraft for its requirements.Why Did India Choose Rafael Jet Over US' F-18?The retired Indian Navy official explained that when one chooses an aircraft, it is not necessarily about which is the best fighter jet: there is, in fact, no such thing as the best aircraft or the second-best aircraft. On the contrary, it is about the aircraft which is best suited for the Indian Navy's requirements.He stressed that this way, the Navy will be able to share all these resources with the IAF, and vice-versa and it will be easier to maintain the aircraft. He emphasized that the order was only for 26 aircraft which were not many and it was needed to meet the requirement till such time India's Defence Research and Development Organisation developed the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF).The TEDBF is an under-development marine fighter jet for the Indian Navy which is expected to become the fulcrum of India's all future aircraft carriers. "Till the TEDBF is ready, the Indian Navy needed some aircraft because it can't function with two aircraft carriers with only a handful of MiG-29s," Singh pointed out.
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Does India's Purchase of Rafael-Ms Signal Rift Between France & NATO Allies?
16:27 10.07.2023 (Updated: 16:44 10.07.2023) France is still reeling from the after-effects of Australia's decision to terminate a multi-billion contract for its submarines after Canberra joined the AUKUS alliance last year.
New Delhi's reported decision to acquire
26 Rafale-M fighter jets for the
INS Vikrant will lead to better integration between its Navy and the Air Force, a military veteran has said.
The comments of Commodore
Anil Jai Singh, a submarine specialist who spent nearly three decades in
India's blue water force, come days ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Paris where he's expected to finalize the deal with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Modi to Visit France on Bastille Day
The Indian leader will be visiting France for two days on July 13 and 14, where he's reportedly set to sign two mega-billion defense contracts - one for the Rafale-Ms and another for three diesel-electric conventional submarines.
For India, the two contracts are vital for enhancing its security apparatus in the Indian Ocean Region, especially at a time when contenders have been
expanding their maritime capabilities at a fast pace.
France Still Recovering From Submarine Spat
In September 2022, Australia reneged from a contract to acquire 12 new diesel-electric submarines from France in what was reportedly a deal worth a whopping $66 billion.
Subsequently, Canberra formally announced the formation of a trilateral security partnership called AUKUS with the United Kingdom and the United States and opted to acquire nuclear-powered subs from its two strategic partners.
France termed the development as a betrayal from its North Atlantic allies.
"The cancellation of the Attack class submarine program, binding Australia and France since 2016, and the announcement of a new partnership with the United States -- meant to launch studies on a possible future cooperation on
nuclear-powered submarines, constitute unacceptable behavior between allies and partners, whose consequences directly affect the vision we have of our alliances, of our partnerships and of the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement at the time.
In this context, India's reported naval fighter jet and submarine acquisition from France could further intensify the existing rift between Paris and its NATO partners, as Washington has been trying to lure New Delhi into its camp and offered a wide range of technology transfers to locally manufacture many critical weapons systems, including fighter jet engines.
Against this backdrop, Singh, who serves as the vice-president of the New Delhi-based naval think-tank, Indian Maritime Foundation, stated that the competition was between Rafale-M and the
US' F-18 Hornet fighter jets.
According to him, while Both warplanes passed the trials which were held in India, it was a question of the Navy deciding which is the better aircraft for its requirements.
Why Did India Choose Rafael Jet Over US' F-18?
The retired Indian Navy official explained that when one chooses an aircraft, it is not necessarily about which is the best fighter jet: there is, in fact, no such thing as the best aircraft or the second-best aircraft. On the contrary, it is about the aircraft which is best suited for the Indian Navy's requirements.
"We already have the Rafale with the Indian Air Force (IAF). So a lot of issues will get sorted out. It will be cheaper because the supply chain is already there, and the logistics and maintenance ecosystem is also there," Singh told Sputnik on Monday.
He stressed that this way, the Navy will be able to share all these resources with the IAF, and vice-versa and it will be easier to maintain the aircraft.
"If India had gone for a different aircraft altogether, the need to set up an entire chain of supply, including repair facilities would have come up," Singh, who spent 28 years as a specialist submariner noted.
He emphasized that the order was only for 26 aircraft which were not many and it was needed to meet the requirement till such time India's Defence Research and Development Organisation developed the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF).
The TEDBF is an under-development marine fighter jet for the Indian Navy which is expected to become the fulcrum of India's all future aircraft carriers.
"Till the TEDBF is ready, the Indian Navy needed some aircraft because it can't function with two aircraft carriers with only a handful of MiG-29s," Singh pointed out.
"That's why, I think the Navy has taken a very considered decision after going through the pros and cons and examining what the aircraft they have chosen, which in this case is the Rafale-M," he concluded.
