On Tuesday, India and France renewed their defence cooperation agreement for another 10 years. They also signed a deal to manufacture French-origin missiles in India and agreed on reciprocal deployment of army officers. The decisions were taken during the 6th Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru, co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin, Hindustan Times reported.
The two sides discussed key security issues. They focused on co-development and co-production of military platforms. "They emphasised on the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the industries of both nations, especially in the field of niche technology," the defence ministry said.
Rafale deal and indigenisation push
The dialogue came days after the Defence Acquisition Council cleared military purchases worth Rs. 3.6 lakh crore. This includes 114 Dassault Rafale fighter jets. Under the proposal, 18 jets will come in fly-away condition. The remaining 96 will be built in India, as per Hindustan Times.
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The Rafale plan was discussed in detail. Rajnath Singh pushed for maximum indigenisation in the jets to be manufactured in India. Talks are on for localisation, integration of Indian weapons, and other India-specific needs. India wants indigenous content of around 50 to 60 per cent.
Missile manufacturing and wider strategic ties
An MoU was signed for a joint venture to manufacture Hammer missiles in India. The agreement was between Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Safran Electronics & Defense. The Hammer smart weapon is already used on the Indian Air Force's Rafale jets. It was deployed during Operation Sindoor in May.
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The statement from the Ministry of Defence said, "Both ministers agreed to leverage this framework, both bilaterally and in the wider European context for tangible outcomes that will strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities, and reinforce the enduring Indo-French strategic alignment."
On terrorism, Rajnath Singh said Pakistan has a long history of promoting cross-border terrorism, calling it a serious threat to regional peace.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually inaugurated the H-125 helicopter final assembly line in Karnataka, in the presence of the two defence ministers.
