The arms trade between India and France has abandoned ethics and evolved into a farcical display of wit and strategy.
The story begins with India's purchase of a second-hand aircraft carrier from Russia for $3 billion, resulting in significant losses.
Subsequently, India, aiming for self-reliance, turned its sights on France's Rafale fighter jets, purchasing 36 of them for over 2 billion euros.
Initially a story where India seemed to be taken advantage of while France counted the money, France still struggled to break even due to India's economic calculations.
France's Rafale fighter, introduced in the early 1990s, initially struggled in the international arms market despite advertisements claiming otherwise.
At that time, the F-16 and Su-30MK became the most popular third-generation fighters in the international arms market, leaving France out.
It was not until 2015 that Egypt and Qatar began ordering upgraded Rafales, providing some relief to France after decades of setbacks.
India's indigenous Tejas fighter failed to materialize despite decades of effort.
Recognizing the difficulties in indigenous development, the Indian government decided to address the issue through purchases.
In 2010, India announced a tender to purchase 126 multirole fighters, attracting bids from Rafale, MiG-35, F-16, FA-18, JAS-39, and Eurofighter Typhoon.
In January 2012, Dassault Aviation of France won the contract with a bid of 9.11 billion euros to manufacture 126 Rafale fighters for India, at a unit price of 72 million euros, a relatively fair price.
Thus began the game between India and France over the Rafale fighters.
In 2014, after Modi came to power, India canceled the contract to purchase 126 Rafales, citing the need to support domestic industries.
However, India's Air Force still needed the aircraft.
By 2016, India announced a fast-track purchase of 36 Rafales to replace its aging MiG-21s, MiG-27s, and Mirage 2000s.
Despite a total price of 7.878 billion euros and a unit price soaring to 220 million euros, this decision sparked widespread international scrutiny.
Faced with this large order, French companies worked overtime to deliver the 36 Rafales on time.
However, when the last Rafale was delivered to India in 2021, India had paid less than thirty percent of the total price.
India began delaying payments, increasing pressure on France through various means. At the same time, India proposed paying in Indian rupees.
Following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Western sanctions on Russian oil-dollar payment systems provided India with an opportunity to buy cheap oil from Russia and then resell it to France at a higher price to offset debts.
This move drew global attention. France initially thought India would suffer significant losses due to high-priced Rafales but did not anticipate India's subsequent moves, which dug a large hole for France.
Although India only paid 2.7 billion euros, far below the total price, this amount was manageable for the 36 Rafales and not far from production costs.
Thus, France had time to continue bargaining with India.
In addition, the Macron government held a key card—the Rafale M.
Despite India's constant verbal complaints about the Rafale, actual procurement actions were slow to materialize.
However, in 2023, India again ordered 26 Rafale Ms from Dassault Aviation of France, to equip its indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.
Originally designed for the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the Rafale M boasts excellent performance, including a range of 1850 kilometers, strong air-to-ground and sea strike capabilities, and even the ability to carry nuclear warheads.
Equipped with an active phased array radar, its detection range can reach up to 200 kilometers, making it one of the recognized top fourth-generation carrier-based aircraft. These features greatly impressed India.
Currently, India has over 50 Rafales, but operational issues persist.
India claims readiness to invest an additional 5 billion euros to purchase more carrier-based aircraft, but whether France believes this remains a mystery.
Since 2003, this procurement plan has remained in the verbal stage, lacking concrete action.
However, India is evidently unwilling to wait any longer, especially for its highly anticipated indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, where the MiG-29K fleet can no longer meet demands.
Globally, options for carrier-based aircraft are limited, including the F-35C, FA-18, and Rafale M.
However, the US is unwilling to sell the F-35C, and the FA-18 has shortcomings in performance, especially in core electronic warfare capabilities.
Therefore, the Rafale M has almost become India's only choice. France understands this well and continues to steadfastly cooperate with India.
Whether this arms deal between India and France, each with their hidden agendas, will end in laughter remains unpredictable.
France may hold out on technical support issues, while India continues to demonstrate its unique economic skills.
Regardless, this farcical international arms trade will continue to attract global attention.
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