The twenty-five years of formal strategic partnership between India and France established before the controversial May 1998 Pokhran nuclear explosions sanctioned by then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government has helped India boost its morale and standing in the comity of nations. It would be interesting to go through a sneak view of the first decade of India-France defence relations, when France agreed to supply fighter planes ‘Toofani’, i.e. Ouragan, for the Indian Air Force (IAF), which in fact laid a strong pillar for bilateral diplomatic relations.
In fact, defence was the first column of undeclared strategic pillars of India-France ties, the bricks of which were laid during the first few years of post-Independence India. This relationship later diversified into space and nuclear sectors.
It was in the midst of challenges posed to India from across the borders in the early 1950s when France provided its fighter jets, the famous French Ouragans nicknamed ‘Toofani’ by the IAF. France was the first country to provide India with fighter jets, and the Ouragans served till the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
The French had come to India’s rescue in 1952 in peculiar circumstances, when the British suddenly threatened to cut off engine supplies for Vampire fighters, and forced India to think of an alternative reliable source. Orders were then placed for the French Ouragan fighter jet bombers as an interim measure while negotiations began for a long-term agreement — the British Folland, Gnat fighters under licence as a next generation fighter.
From 1950s onwards, India owes much to the French leadership, who had an impressive track record of maintaining strategic autonomy, being an independent autonomous military power in NATO. Though France was among the original 12 founding members of NATO in 1949, it withdrew from the alliance’s integrated military command in 1966, but later announced to rejoin full military command structures in 2009. This chequered relationship with NATO has perhaps led to an independent strategic mindset in Paris. And this also led to an India-France relation in a different trajectory, providing big strategic relief to India.
India faced a strategic boycott of the western world not only after 1998 May nuclear tests but during India’s first 1974 nuclear tests also.
France has since then sided with India during all strategic crises India faced, and in the early 80s during the height of the Cold War when the US and its European partners had withdrawn all strategic support to India under various sanctions.
Thus, from Ouragan to Mirage-2000s to Rafales, the India-France defence partnership has been a relationship of “A friend in Need is a friend indeed”.
India And France: New Roadmap For Next 25 Years
The strong foundation for a fresh strategic partnership laid in 1998 has encouraged both the countries to chart a new roadmap for the next 25 years, beginning this year, which will coincide with the conclusion of the centenary celebrations of Indian Independence in 2047.
The first formal strategic partnership was signed with France during the visit of then President Jacques Chirac in 1998. After the second round of nuclear tests were conducted by India in May 1998, France stood by India honouring the strategic partnership treaty with India. The May 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests rattled the world community, and especially shook the ego of Western nations led by the US. France was the only rebel power among the West that came to India’s rescue and continued to respect strategic partnership with India, promising to extend its all-round support for India, from nuclear to space to defence.
In accordance with the bonhomie displayed during July 13-14 visit to Paris and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s acknowledgement of the defence sector emerging as a “strong pillar” of bilateral strategic partnership, the data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recently testifies to the claim. According to SIPRI, during the five year period of 2017-22, France was the second largest supplier of defence equipment to India with 29 percent share, whereas the US got 11 percent of India’s defence kitty.
Unlike the US, France has emerged as a nation unhesitantly agreeing to technology transfer of all cutting-edge weapon platforms and systems. This includes the six Scorpene submarines already supplied and the production line awaiting further orders, the French took a rational decision to extend the Scorpene submarine programme. Thus, France and India have converted their defence partnership from buyer and seller to joint developers and producers of weapon systems.
The transfer of technology concurrence for supposedly Indian AMCA fifth generation aircraft by the French engine giant Safran for 125 kn engine surpasses in value, technology and capability than that of US GE-F-414 engine of 98 kn thrust, which will have only 80 percent technology transfer. Thus, France has outpaced the US in defence technology sharing.
In the changed geopolitical milieu, the India-France strategic partnership will be the cynosure of all eyes, as both the countries have prepared a 25-year roadmap for giving strategic partnership a new colour and dimension. In the new evolving geo-strategy and geo-economy, India and France need each other. The Indian and French leadership right from the 1950s have proved to be visionary by gradually giving a shape to this relationship, which will help both the countries together play a major role on international platforms.
The author is a senior journalist and strategic affairs analyst.
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