Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has concluded a three‑day visit to France, reinforcing India’s deepening defence partnership with Paris while advancing negotiations for the ₹3.25 lakh crore acquisition of 114 Rafale fighter jets.

The visit combined high‑level military talks, industry engagements, and operational familiarisation, underscoring India’s push for greater defence autonomy and industrial collaboration under the Make in India initiative.

Air Chief Marshal Singh held bilateral discussions with General Jérôme Bellanger, Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force, at the AAEF headquarters in Balard. He was accorded full military honours, including a ceremonial guard of honour, reflecting the strategic importance of the relationship. 

He also met General Vincent Giraud, Chief of the Military Staff to the President of France, and addressed officers and Indian cadets at the École de guerre, École Militaire, highlighting the growing exchange and training cooperation between the two nations.

The visit included operational exposure at the Mont‑de‑Marsan Air Combat Centre and a familiarisation flight aboard the Airbus A400M transport aircraft from Orléans Air Base.

The A400M is a leading contender in India’s Medium Transport Aircraft programme, which aims to replace the ageing An‑32 fleet with between 40 and 80 new aircraft. Singh’s flight demonstrated India’s interest in diversifying its transport capabilities alongside fighter acquisitions.

Industry engagements were a central feature of the trip. Singh met senior executives from Dassault Aviation, Thales, Safran, and MBDA, reinforcing India’s demand for technology transfer and indigenous production.

Dassault already partners with TATA Advanced Systems to produce Rafale fuselage sections in Hyderabad, and further assembly lines are being considered in Nagpur. These discussions are expected to expand industrial cooperation, ensuring that up to 94 of the 114 Rafales are manufactured in India, with localisation levels rising to 40–50 per cent.

On 1 June, India formally issued a Letter of Request to France for the Rafale deal, one of the largest fighter jet procurements globally. France is expected to respond within two to three months with details on pricing, production schedules, logistics support, and industrial participation.

Negotiations are likely to conclude within a year, with deliveries beginning around 2030. The deal bypasses multi‑vendor competition, proceeding directly through a government‑to‑government framework, and includes provisions for integrating indigenous weapons such as the Astra missile and the future BrahMos‑NG cruise missile via Interface Control Documents.

The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafales deployed at Ambala and Hasimara, with orders placed for 62 more aircraft across the Air Force and Navy. The additional 114 Rafales will raise the total to 176, and with the Navy’s intent to induct 31 more, India’s Rafale fleet could exceed 200 aircraft.

This expansion is critical to address the IAF’s current shortfall of only 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42.5, especially as China inducts stealth fighters like the J‑20 and J‑35 and Pakistan prepares to acquire the J‑35.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit France in mid‑June, where the Rafale deal will be a key agenda item in discussions with President Emmanuel Macron. The Defence Acquisition Council has already cleared the proposal, and final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security will be required before signing.

Defence planners emphasise that the Rafale acquisition is the fastest route to restoring parity in a potential two‑front scenario, while indigenous projects such as the TEJAS MK-2 and AMCA continue to mature.

The visit by Air Chief Marshal Singh thus reaffirmed the enduring India‑France defence partnership, advanced negotiations for the Rafale deal, and opened new avenues for industrial cooperation and transport aircraft procurement, marking a decisive step in India’s defence modernisation drive.

ANI