NEW DELHI, July 13 (Reuters) – India’s defence ministry has given preliminary approval to buy 26 Rafale fighter jets for its navy and three Scorpene class submarines, forward of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in France, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated.

Modi started a two-day go to to Paris on Thursday to deepen ties with New Delhi’s oldest strategic accomplice within the West, with a slew of high-profile defence offers anticipated and a brand new joint plan to make sure stability within the Indo-Pacific.

The Singh-led Defence Acquisition Council, the apex physique for army capital procurements, granted the approvals earlier within the day.

The deal will cowl the acquisition of 26 Dassault Aviation (AM.PA) Rafale fighter jets, together with 4 trainers, and three Scorpene class submarines to be constructed by India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MAZG.NS) and France’s Naval Group, two sources conversant in the main points instructed Reuters.

The complete worth of the purchases is predicted to be round 800 billion rupees ($9.75 billion), in accordance with one of many sources. The authorities didn’t present any value figures, saying the costs are but to be negotiated.

In the previous few years, Modi has ramped up spending to modernise the army, whereas underlining his authorities’s dedication to boosting home manufacturing to produce forces deployed alongside two contentious borders with Pakistan and China.

Earlier this 12 months, the federal government proposed a 13% hike in defence spending to five.94 trillion rupees for the 2023-24 monetary 12 months.

The ageing fleet of India’s Russian-made platforms, Moscow’s lack of ability to carry out upkeep work, and delays in India’s indigenous manufacturing plans for parallel platforms have necessitated the 2 new defence offers.

The marine model of Dassualt’s Rafale jets, meant for India’s first indigenous plane provider commissioned final 12 months, outperformed the American Superhornet F18s in exams final 12 months for Indian necessities.

Singh stated in a tweet that the “price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the French Government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries”.

India has relied on French fighter jets for 4 a long time now. Much earlier than shopping for Rafale in 2015, India purchased Mirage jets in Eighties, which nonetheless comprise two squadrons of the air pressure.

In 2005, India purchased six Scorpene-class diesel submarines from France for 188 billion rupees ($2.29 billion), the final of which can be commissioned subsequent 12 months.

($1 = 82.0782 Indian rupees)

Reporting by Krishn Kaushik, writing by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Kim Coghill

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