France offers full support in nuclear submarines, jet engines and underwater drones to India

The India-France strategic defence partnership is set to take another big step forward with the Emmanuel Macron government ready to discuss and support the construction of nuclear attack submarines, and offer 100% transfer of technology for 110 kilo-Newton thrust aircraft engines and underwater drones with full capabilities to India.

These are among the issues on the agenda of the India-France strategic dialogue between September 30 and October 1 between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Macron’s diplomatic advisor Emmanuel Bonne in Paris. This is the first bilateral strategic engagement after Macron’s visit to India in January.

Doval is also expected to meet Macron during his visit and brief the French President on India’s efforts to end the Ukraine conflict. Macron has been totally supportive of Indian efforts to engage with the Russians to end the war and work together to mitigate its consequences on the Global South.

Doval travelled to Russia this month and briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 23 on how to end the war.

France and India are already collaborating in new domains of potential future conflicts such as space with Doval signing a letter of intent on military satellites with French Defence Minister Sebastian Lecornu during Macron’s visit to India as the chief guest on Republic Day.

The French offer on submarines comes at a time when the Indian Navy has approaching the highest levels of the Modi government on the need to build two nuclear attack submarines for future operations.France has also offered full spectrum autonomous systems to India in air, surface and underwater domain to enhance India’s ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) capabilities and protection of Indian naval assets such as submarines.

Doval will also seek to make progress on an offer made by the Kolkata born Chairman of Safran Engines Ross McInnes to the Modi government when he visited India last week.

Safran, which helped ISRO develop space rocket engines in the 1970s, has offered to jointly design, develop, certify and produce 110 KN engines for future Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project with 100% TOT including hot engine sections. It has also offered to train Indians in advanced metallurgy. The jointly developed engine will be sovereign property of India, which it can export to third countries without any restrictions, HT learns. Safran has also offered to help India upgrade this fighter jet engine for newer versions of AMCA in the future.

France has long been a trusted supplier of advanced weaponry to India, and the partnership is central to India’s strategic autonomy.

While India and France are negotiating for Indian Navy to acquire 26 Rafale-Maritime fighters for India’s two aircraft carriers, the French Naval Group will also jointly build three more latest Kalvari class diesel attack submarines for India under Project 75. The Indian Air Force is also looking towards France for more Rafale fighters to up its depleting fighter squadron strength.

France, India decided to deepen cooperation in Indo-Pacific

While defence and security will be the key aspect of the September 30 dialogue, HT learns that Doval and Bonne will discuss other issues where there is alignment and common interest.

France and India have decided to deepen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific with focus on the Indian Ocean as both countries are resident powers, and the two advisors will also discuss the Middle-East conflict and the targeting of commercial shipping by Houthis in Red Sea, people familiar with the matter said. France has keen interest in the India-Middle-East Economic Corridor and has already appointed a special envoy to support the ambitious project. The situation in Bangladesh and the elections in Sri Lanka will also be topics of discussion under the strategic dialogue umbrella.