Along with Russia, France too will become India’s Partner In Weapons Tech
France and India have agreed to cooperate on advanced defence technology, a move that could potentially bolster New Delhi’s drive to get abreast of cutting edge military technology.
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Paris on Wednesday, issuing a statement that includes the weapons cooperation. Underscoring the “long-standing armament cooperation” that includes the “transfer of technology from France to India,” the two leaders agreed to France’s deeper involvement in India’s “self-reliant” efforts in advanced defence technology, the statement said.
India is still importing around 20% of its overall military requirement. Over the past five years, Russia was supplying about 50% of India’s weaponry being imported according to estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. During this period France provided over 20% of The remaining weapons. The rest coming fro Israel, USA and others.
But looking at 2020 alone, France was India’s top arms dealer, exporting more than $1 billion worth of military hardware, this was because of Rafale and few other deals. Compared with French, $970 million of weapons came from Russia. Other Western nations too have ramped up military ties with India with an aim to achieve a shift away from Moscow.
However India is not going to fall in their trap. We are buying in a selective manner only those things which are required as gap fillers, till own indigenous system is in place. Also S400, Frigates, conventional submarines and nuclear powered SSGNs are in pipe line from Russia with may be some SU 57 MKIs too.
In another 5 years time India will be quite self sufficient in Weapons technology and will be becoming a major exporter. So any notion of India becoming dependent on any nation is just a dream.
India and France share a vision of an Indo-Pacific region “based on commitment [to] international law, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, freedom of navigation and a region free from coercion, tensions and conflicts,” the joint statement reads.
The language is a vailed swipe at China’s maritime expansionism. The two sides will cooperate over a wide range of areas in the Indo-Pacific region, including defence, trade and investment, according to the statement.
