PARIS — French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian traveled to India Thursday for a scheduled meeting on Sept. 23, as requested by President François Hollande, said the Ministry of Defence spokeswoman Valérie Lecasble.
The minister's travel plan has raised hopes France will sign Friday an agreement with India for the sale of 36 Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jets in a deal widely reported to be worth €7.87 billion ($8.8 billion).
Lecasble declined to comment on whether Le Drian would be signing a deal and the value of the expected acquisition, instead pointing to a statement from the French president's office.
However, an official with the Indian Ministry of Defence, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Le Drian will meet his Indian counterpart, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, on Sept. 23 to sign an intergovernmental agreement for the Rafale jets. He would not provide further details.
Le Drian’s Sept. 23 meeting in India had been agreed by Hollande and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the two political leaders met on the sidelines of the Sept. 4 G20 summit, the president’s Elysée office said in a Sept. 21 statement.
Le Drian's trip to India would be on the agenda at the president's weekly meeting with the defense minister.
A sale to India would be the third export deal for the Rafale and the largest since France sold 24 of the twin-engined fighter to both Egypt and Qatar, said Etienne Daum, a consultant at the think tank Compagnie Européenne d’Intelligence Stratégique.
An order for the Indian Air Force "may open the door for a Rafale for the Navy," which is looking for a fighter for its aircraft carrier, he said. There is concern over China’s ambitions in the Indian Ocean.
On Lockheed Martin’s offer of its F-16 to boost the Indian Air Force, there would be a heavy maintenance bill if there were three types of aircraft — Sukhoi 30, Rafale and the US fighter — he said. Perhaps India lacks real interest in the F-16 but keeps the talks open to put pressure on Dassault, and also keeps Lockheed Martin alert by holding discussions with Dassault, he said.
The Indian service also flies the Dassault Mirage 2000, which is undergoing an upgrade.
Missile-maker MBDA, M88 engine-builder Safran, and electronics specialist Thales would benefit from an Indian order.
If the Indian deal goes through, that would sustain Dassault’s decision to increase annual output to 22 Rafales from 11 units. France needs the export deals to cut the budgetary pressure incurred by keeping the fighter production line open. The French Air Force, which has close operational ties with the Indian Air Force, will see a slow down of delivery to its fighter fleet.
Vivek Raghuvanshi contributed to this report.