The Indian Prime Minister is the guest of honor on Friday at the French National Day parade, as the navies of the two countries increase joint exercises in the Indian Ocean.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Paris on Thursday July 13 for 48 hours. India is indeed the foreign nation invited to the National Day parade. This should be an opportunity to highlight the 25 years of the Franco-Indian “strategic partnership”. This visit could also result in the announcement of the purchase of new French fighter planes.
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The Franco-Indian strategic partnership today focuses on one area in particular, that of the immense expanse of the Indian Ocean which both nations border: France with its islands of Mayotte and Reunion. The navies of the two countries are increasing joint exercises and patrols at sea and are watching with a worried eye in the direction of Beijing. China, which is not a neighboring country, has nevertheless increased its maritime presence in this region of the world in recent years.
The Chinese fleet now has three ports in deep waters around the Arabian Sea, the northern part of the Indian Ocean. The first port is located in Gwadar, Pakistan, the second is based in Sri Lanka, to the east, and the last is in Djibouti, to the west. The Chinese ships that call at these ports are no longer just tankers or merchant ships, but more and more frequently military or surveillance ships.
A second Indian aircraft carrier soon to be deployed
India, with which China already has a border dispute in the Himalayas, has therefore undertaken to monitor the waters of the Indian Ocean more precisely in cooperation with the French navy. A French officer also sits permanently at the Indian Maritime Information Fusion Center, based in Delhi. India is also preparing to deploy its second aircraft carrier shortly, so as to be able to shine further in this sector.
Armaments are also at the heart of the Franco-Indian strategic partnership, and in particular those to equip this second aircraft carrier. India intends to buy 26 ship-borne fighters. Officially, the Boeing aircraft, the F-18 Super Hornet and Dassault, with the Rafale Marine, are still in competition. Despite everything, Narendra Modi could announce publicly, during his visit to Paris, that Dassault’s Rafale has been chosen. It is in any case what announced these last days the press of New Dehli.