The Indian Defense Minister took advantage of the landing on Wednesday July 29 of the first five Rafale fighter jets to arrive from France to issue a thinly veiled warning to China amid territorial tensions. The arrival of the five planes, greeted by a guard of honor of water cannons at the Ambala base in the north of the country, marks " the beginning of a new era " in India's military history. said Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
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The devices will make the Indian Air Force " much stronger to deal with any threat, " he added on Twitter. While the minister did not directly name China, the country's media and observers said his statements were clearly aimed at the neighboring giant. " If anyone were to be worried or critical about these new capabilities of the Indian Air Force, it should be those who want to threaten our territorial integrity ," said the minister.
India bought 36 Rafale fighter jets from France for an estimated $ 9.4 billion. Delivery of the last aircraft is scheduled before the end of 2021. The Rafale was eagerly awaited by New Delhi due to the aging Indian fleet of disparate fighter jets and recurring border tensions with Islamabad and Beijing.
On June 15, a deadly confrontation, the first in 45 years, between Indian and Chinese military in Ladakh (northern India), along their disputed border, claiming the lives of at least 20 Indian soldiers. The incident, for which each country blames the other, resulted in the movement of thousands of troops in the region. China and India, however, continued discussions in an attempt to ease tensions.
A military delay with China
India has acknowledged that it is lagging behind China and other powers in its military capabilities, and the purchase of the Rafale planes represents one project among many in strengthening its 1.4 million-strong army. The arrival of Rafale planes " will help India cope with the growing Chinese threat, as it becomes clear that the current territorial confrontation in Ladakh will last until winter, " said Sameer Patil, security expert international for the Gateway House think tank.
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Last year, the Indian opposition accused the government of having favored the private conglomerate, Reliance Group, as a partner of Dassault (*), at the expense of the public company Hindustan Aerospace Industries (HAL). Reliance Group is headed by businessman Anil Ambani, known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The aircraft manufacturer, of which India was the first international customer in 1953, hopes to sell additional Rafales to New Delhi. The South Asian giant had formulated in May 2017 an official request for information for the supply of 57 combat planes intended for the Indian Navy and another in July 2018 for 110 devices intended for the Indian Air Force.
(*) The Dassault group owns the Figaro
