Deal to buy Rafale Fighter Jets reach Final Stage

Context: Two large defence deals in the pipeline between India and France are being finalised, amid expectations that the Indian Prime Minister will visit Paris in February 2024 for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit to be hosted by the French President.

Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Rafale-M fighter jets; Scorpene-class conventional submarines. 

Major Highlights:

• The deals together worth over $10 billion will include:
  • Purchase of 26 Rafale-M fighter jets for the Indian Navy’s INS Vikrant & INS Vikramaditya aircraft carriers.
    • At present, the INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant operate with the Russian Mikoyan MiG-29K fighter aircraft.
  • Three additional Scorpene-class conventional submarines.
• The deal is an integral part of India's ongoing efforts to modernise its naval forces, especially amid growing regional security concerns.

What are Rafale fighter jets?

• IAF Rafale:
  • Indian Air Force (IAF) has already acquired 36 Rafale combat aircraft (4.5 generation aircraft) from France.
  • India had ordered the combat aircrafts in a Rs 59,000-crore government-to-government deal in September 2016.
  • France completed the delivery of all 36 Rafale jets to the IAF in December 2022. 
• Rafale-M:  
  • Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole 4.5th generation fighter aircraft.
  • Designed and built by: Dassault Aviation
  • Rafale M is an omnirole aircraft, i.e., it can conduct both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions simultaneously.
  • Rafale M is a single-seat aircraft capable of performing a wide range of missions, including deep strikes, air defence, and reconnaissance. 
  • It is designed to operate from aircraft carriers.
    • It has various modifications, including a reinforced undercarriage, strengthened landing gears, and a longer and strengthened nose.
    • Due to modifications, the Rafale M is slightly heavier than the air force Rafale.

What are Scorpene-class conventional submarines?

• About: They are diesel-attack submarines based on the Scorpène design developed by Naval Group (France). 
• Under Project 75, six Scorpene-class submarines have been constructed indigenously (at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Mumbai) with Transfer of Technology from France. 
• The project was initiated in 1997, and five submarines are currently commissioned.

Submarines under Project 75 (Kalvari-class): 

• INS Kalvari: Inducted in 2017 
• INS Kandheri: Inducted in 2019 
• INS Karanj: Inducted in 2021 
• INS Vela: Inducted 2021 
• INS Vagir: Inducted 2023
• INS Vagsheer: To be commissioned in January 2025. 

• Diesel Electric submarines: This class of submarines have Diesel Electric transmission systems and are attack submarines or the ‘hunter-killer’ type which are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels.
• They have the capability of operating in a wide range of Naval combat including anti-warship and anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering and surveillance, underwater mining operations and naval mine laying.