The Indo-French defense relationship goes back decades to when the Indian Air Force (IAF) bought its first French fighter jet, the Toofani, in the 1950s. Over the years, India signed on several big-ticket purchases from France—from Mystère IVA in the 1950s to the Mirage-2000 in the 1980s to the latest Rafale jets in 2016.
As we enter 2025, the much-anticipated purchase of Rafale-M (Marine) is now on the horizon.
During his visit to France in July 2023 for the French Bastille Day Parade, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that the bond between France and India is in “excellent shape” and has remained steady and strong throughout the most trying periods. Later, French President Emanuel Macron visited India to attend the Republic Day Parade as the Chief guest in 2024.
Beneath the veneer of this strategic partnership lies sustained defense cooperation. In the present times, there is a significant convergence of vision de mondé (Vision of the World) between India and France on a range of regional and global issues. The defense partnership between the two countries is now deepening further, with the Indo-Pacific region emerging as a focal point of this relationship amid rising threats from China.
For instance, the French Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group (CSG) recently began its Indo-Pacific deployment, dubbed ‘Mission Clemenceau 2025,’ to protect the country’s interests in the region. As part of this mission, the French CSG made a stopover at Goa on January 4. The Charles de Gaulle will also visit Kochi and participate in the 42nd annual Varuna bilateral exercise along with its escort vessels and embarked air fleet.
In a separate development, India is now poised to sign a government-to-government deal with the French government for 26 Rafale-M fighter jets and three additional Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy. The deal could be signed in February 2025 when the Indian PM visits France for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, according to the latest reports in the Indian media.
India has already constructed six Scorpene-class submarines designed by the French Naval Group at Mazagaon Dockyard Limited (MDL). The shipyard will be responsible for constructing the three additional Scorpenes.
In contrast, the purchase of the Rafale-Marines is also keenly awaited. Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M (Marine) edged out Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets based on interoperability with the Indian Air Force’s Rafale fleet.
The Rafale-M will now take over as the Indian Navy’s frontline fighter jet from the Russian MiG-29Ks. The Rafale-M will operate from the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, once it is commissioned.
This multi-billion dollar deal is expected to change the face of India’s naval aviation and make it the only country in the world, apart from France, to operate both versions of the aircraft.
The acquisition is significant amid concerns about the aging MiG-29K fleet while India’s indigenous Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is still far from becoming a reality.
In addition to bolstering the Indian Navy’s capability to counter new security threats in the Indian Ocean Region, the acquisition would strengthen the defense partnership between France and India, which has existed since the early 1950s.
As the US courted Pakistan during the Cold War, the Soviet Union became India’s closest and most reliable ally. However, throughout history, France was the only Western country that has consistently tended to India’s fighter jet needs.
India’s Undying Penchant For French Fighter Jets
The story starts with a man called Marcel Bloch, better known as Marcel Dassault. A passionate French electrical engineer and aircraft manufacturer, Marcel survived two World Wars and a prolonged Nazi torture so that he could re-establish the French Aeronautics industry and give to the world what is now Dassault Aviation.
Dassault produced the MD-450 Ouragan, the French Air Force’s first jet aircraft that entered service with the French Air Force in 1949. This was the time when India was rebuilding its military after a hard-fought independence in 1947 and a war with Pakistan.
While India already operated the British Vampire combat jet, the need for a more sophisticated aircraft set into motion another purchase. Impressed by the Ouragan jet aircraft, India ordered 71 Ouragans on June 25, 1953.
On their induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF), they came to be known as “Toofani.” These were essentially the same as regular production models, except that they were propelled by marginally upgraded Nene 105 engines.
The Toofani started arriving in India in late October, and the deliveries were completed by 1954. Pleased with the aircraft, India placed two additional orders for the aircraft, bringing the total number of Ouragans in its inventory to 104. The IAF had a “Toofani” start as it embarked on a historic partnership with the French Dassault.
A few years later, the IAF became cognisant of the fact that the Toofani had run its course and started hunting for another aircraft that would be commensurate with the IAF’s combat requirements and could be procured easily.
This was a time of the Cold War when the US fighters were practically out of the question for India as New Delhi led the non-alignment movement.
The USSR had yet to befriend New Delhi. India once again shortlisted a Dassault fighter, the French Mystere IV combat aircraft. The IAF began replacing the Toofani with the Mystère IVA in 1957. A contract for 104 “supersonic-in-a-dive” Mystere was placed.
The Mystère IVA quickly became the mainstay of the Indian Air Force. The aircraft was extensively deployed during the India-Pakistan war of 1965, giving a hard time to the Pakistani Air Force (PAF), which used advanced American combat jets of the time.
For instance, a Pakistani Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was shot down by an Indian Mystere, commanded by Squadron Leader Devayya, during a raid over Sargodha on September 7, 1965. In a separate incident, a Mystère IVA shot down a Pakistani L-19 on September 16, 1965.
Additionally, the aircraft performed exceptionally well in surface attacks as well. Sargodha served as the PAF’s main air base. This base had to be destroyed at all costs because it housed more than half of the PAF’s combat strength. While the IAF could not destroy the base, 31 sorties were mounted against the base from dawn to dusk on September 7 alone, mostly by the Mystere.
Before the 1965 war began, India had also started buying the Soviet MiG-21 fighter jets, which were quite the rage then. The Mystere was pulled up again during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. However, once the war was over, the aircraft’s utility was questioned, and it was gradually phased out in 1973.
Now, while the IAF had the advanced Soviet fighters at the time, it still needed a deep strike aircraft—a critical requirement to combat the threats of that time.
The requirements for what became known as Deep Penetration Strike Aircraft were laid down. The IAF stipulated that to “effectively locate and hit a well-defended target deep inside the hostile territory and recover with safety,” the strike aircraft needed to have a sophisticated navigation/attack system, a good weapons load, supersonic performance, long-range at a low level all the way, and the capacity to defend itself when necessary.
At the time, an Anglo-French aircraft—Sepecat Jaguar—emerged as the perfect deep penetration strike aircraft for the Indian Air Force, and the aircraft was inducted into the IAF in 1979 and came to be known as “Shamsher.”
Jaguar’s precise navigation, weapon aiming, and attack systems were a quantum leap in the technology existing in the IAF at that time. The IAF was particularly enamored by the aircraft’s ability to operate from short, semi-prepared airstrips and the twin-engine, which increased its survivability.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the only operator of this low-flying, sea-skimming fighter bomber in the world today. And while the aircraft needs new engines that the IAF is unwilling to buy, it is still expected to serve India for another decade.
Just a few years after acquiring the Jaguar precision strike aircraft, India knew it had to keep up with the times and modernize. The French Dassault Aviation rose to the occasion and offered India the Mirage-2000 in the early 1980s, an aircraft that had ushered in a new era for the French Air Force.
While the testing on the Mirage-2000 was still ongoing, Pakistan signed a deal with the United States to acquire the US F-16 Fighting Falcons.
This prompted India to fast-track the process and order 36 single-seat Mirage 2000Hs and four twin-seat Mirage 2000THs (H for “Hindustan”) in 1982. The Mirage-2000 was delivered to India in 1984-85 and was christened as “Vajra” by the IAF.
During the Kargil war of 1999, the IAF decided to pound enemy positions with its most lethal plane—the Mirage 2000—using laser-guided bombs on Pakistani positions: Tiger Hill, Tololing, Point 5140, and a Pakistani supply base in the Batalik sector. The bombing was a massive success.
The aircraft was pulled out once again during the Balakot Strikes carried out by the IAF on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) terror camp in Balakot, located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan.
Despite their old age, the Mirage-2000 is still a force to reckon with. India has been upgrading its existing Mirage-2000 to the Mirage 2000-5 Mk 2 standards, extending their life for another 20–25 years. Additionally, in 2021, India decided to purchase second-hand Mirage-2000s.
After Mirage, it took India several years to buy another French aircraft. In 2000—at the dawn of the 21st century, France inducted the all-new Rafale fighter jet into its Air Force.
By 2004, India had begun its hunt for a new multi-role aircraft under the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), and a Request for Information (RFI) was sent to several contractors, including Dassault.
After thorough evaluations, prolonged delays, and many hindrances, the IAF decided on the Rafale in 2012. The initial plan was to procure 126 new multi-role jets. However, the deal stalled due to disagreements over local production.
It was only in 2016 that a deal for 36 Rafale was signed. The aircraft was tailored to India’s requirements, including the incorporation of low-band jammers, radar warning receivers, and an Israeli helmet-mounted display (HMD).
The Rafale is undoubtedly the most advanced aircraft in the IAF’s fleet. It can simultaneously undertake air supremacy, interdiction, reconnaissance, and airborne nuclear deterrent missions.
Amid tensions border tensions with China, the IAF quickly deployed its Rafale fighters to counter the Chinese PLAAF. Such was the “fear” of Rafales that Beijing used five J-20 stealth fighters to challenge each Rafale aircraft. The full story can be read here.
The acquisition of 26 Rafale-Marine jets will again establish the robustness of the relationship between the Indian Air Force and Dassault Aviation.
Once that is over, all eyes will be on IAF’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA)—a reincarnation of the MMRCA contract— which is expected to kick off soon. The French Rafale is one of the contenders for the contract and has been positioned as a frontrunner.
