France offers India comprehensive support in nuclear submarines, reactors, underwater drones | Latest News India

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

These are some of the topics on the agenda of the India-France Strategic Dialogue to be held from September 30 to October 1 between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Emmanuel 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 fully supported Indian efforts to engage with the Russians to end the war and work together to mitigate its impact on the global south.

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

France and India are already collaborating in new areas of potential future conflict such as space, with Doval signing a letter of intent on military satellites with French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu during Macron’s visit to India as guest of honour on Republic Day.

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

Doval will also seek to advance an offer made by Calcutta-born Safran Engines chairman Ross McInnes to the Modi government during his visit to 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 the upcoming Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project with 100 per cent TOT, including hot sections of the engine. The company has also offered to train Indians in advanced metallurgy. The jointly developed engine will be the 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 AMCA variants in the future.

France has long been a reliable supplier of advanced weapons to India, and this partnership is essential to India’s strategic autonomy.

While India and France are negotiating for the 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-generation Kalvari-class diesel attack submarines for India under Project 75. The Indian Air Force is also looking to France for more Rafale fighters to augment its dwindling fighter squadron strength.

France and India decide to deepen their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region

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 agreed to deepen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on the Indian Ocean, as both countries are resident powers. The two advisers will also discuss the Middle East conflict and the targeting of commercial vessels by the Houthis in the Red Sea, people familiar with the matter said. France is keenly interested 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 in the strategic dialogue.