India inked a 7.8 billion Euro ($8.7 billion) deal with France today to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets, in what is being viewed as country&#39;s first major acquisition of combat planes in two decades. 
 
France&#39;s defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian inked the agreement with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;You can only ever be completely sure once (the deal) has been signed and that&#39;s what happened today,&quot; Le Drian was quoted as saying by AFP after the ceremony, referring to almost 18 months of wrangling over financial terms between New Delhi and Dassault Aviation, the jet&#39;s manufacturer. 
 
The deal is likely to give a boost to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s plan to rebuild an ageing fleet of Indian Airforce (IAF).&nbsp; 
 
The IAF is down to 33 squadrons, against its requirement of 45 to face both China and nuclear-armed rival Pakistan, international news agency Reuters observed.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, the deal was also hailed by French President Francois Hollande as recognition of France`s aviation industry.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The agreement... is a mark of the recognition by a major military power of the operational performance, the technical quality and the competitiveness of the French aviation industry,&quot; he said in a statement, according to AFP.&nbsp; 
 
The French jet manufacturer, as per the news agency, had long struggled to find buyers overseas, despite heavy lobbying efforts by the President&#39;s administration. 
 
One of the biggest defence deals in decades, the agreeement comes with a saving of nearly 750 million Euros, following hard negotiations by the Indian side, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp; 
 
Mooted by the former United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2012, the deal was earlier scrapped by the Narendra Modi government, besides a 50 per cent offset clause, PTI reports.&nbsp; 
 
The 50 per cent offset clause means that Indian businesses, both big and small, will gain work to the tune of over three billion Euros.&nbsp; 
 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The deal is likely to give a boost to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to rebuild an ageing fleet of Indian Airforce

India inked a 7.8 billion Euro ($8.7 billion) deal with France today to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets, in what is being viewed as country's first major acquisition of combat planes in two decades. France's defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian inked the agreement with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi. "You can only ever be completely sure once (the deal) has been signed and that's what happened today," Le Drian was quoted as saying by AFP after the ceremony, referring to almost 18 months of wrangling over financial terms between New Delhi and Dassault Aviation, the jet's manufacturer. The deal is likely to give a boost to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to rebuild an ageing fleet of Indian Airforce (IAF). The IAF is down to 33 squadrons, against its requirement of 45 to face both China and nuclear-armed rival Pakistan, international news agency Reuters observed. Meanwhile, the deal was also hailed by French President Francois Hollande as recognition of France`s aviation industry. "The agreement... is a mark of the recognition by a major military power of the operational performance, the technical quality and the competitiveness of the French aviation industry," he said in a statement, according to AFP. The French jet manufacturer, as per the news agency, had long struggled to find buyers overseas, despite heavy lobbying efforts by the President's administration. One of the biggest defence deals in decades, the agreeement comes with a saving of nearly 750 million Euros, following hard negotiations by the Indian side, Indian news agency PTI reported. Mooted by the former United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2012, the deal was earlier scrapped by the Narendra Modi government, besides a 50 per cent offset clause, PTI reports. The 50 per cent offset clause means that Indian businesses, both big and small, will gain work to the tune of over three billion Euros. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India, France ink 7.87-billion Euro deal for 36 Rafale fighter jet planes

India&#39;s defence ministry has written to the central bureau of investigation seeking a probe into the $208-million Embraer aircraft deal that has come under cloud over alleged graft, Indian news agency PTI reported today.&nbsp; 
 
The deal was inked in 2008 under the tenure of former United Progressive Alliance &nbsp;(UPA) government between Brazilian company, Embraer, and the DRDO for three aircraft equipped with indigenous radars for AEW&amp;C (airborne early warning and control systems). 
 
Defence Research and Development Organization, the research and development wing of the defence ministry, chief on Monday briefed Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar.&nbsp; 
 
The DRDO has already approached the Brazilian company Embraer for an explanation over media reports suggesting the firm had hired an Indian middlemen based in the United Kingdom to get the deal through in 2008. 
 
&quot;I am not going to give a knee jerk reaction and just make a statement based on rumours. I have asked for a report which will be submitted on Monday, and if the issues are of a criminal nature, then we can forward this case to the CBI for a criminal investigation and if there are just procedural issues then we can do an internal investigation,&quot; Parrikar was quoted as saying by media.&nbsp; 
 
Embraer has been under investigation by the United States Justice Department since 2010 when a contract with the Dominican Republic raised the Americans&#39; suspicions. 
 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The $208-million aircraft deal inked in 2008 has come under cloud over alleged graft

India's defence ministry has written to the central bureau of investigation seeking a probe into the $208-million Embraer aircraft deal that has come under cloud over alleged graft, Indian news agency PTI reported today. The deal was inked in 2008 under the tenure of former United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government between Brazilian company, Embraer, and the DRDO for three aircraft equipped with indigenous radars for AEW&C (airborne early warning and control systems). Defence Research and Development Organization, the research and development wing of the defence ministry, chief on Monday briefed Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar. The DRDO has already approached the Brazilian company Embraer for an explanation over media reports suggesting the firm had hired an Indian middlemen based in the United Kingdom to get the deal through in 2008. "I am not going to give a knee jerk reaction and just make a statement based on rumours. I have asked for a report which will be submitted on Monday, and if the issues are of a criminal nature, then we can forward this case to the CBI for a criminal investigation and if there are just procedural issues then we can do an internal investigation," Parrikar was quoted as saying by media. Embraer has been under investigation by the United States Justice Department since 2010 when a contract with the Dominican Republic raised the Americans' suspicions. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India's defence ministry writes to central bureau of investigation over Embraer deal

France is working closely with India on the Scorpene document leak case, said French ambassador Alexandre Ziegler on Wednesday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The French authorities are taking the matter very very seriously. We are working on it very seriously with DCNS, with the (unclear). And we are trying to access the extent, the nature, the sensitivity of information of.. may have been leaked. And we will work in this very very close cooperation and full transparency with the Indian authorities,&quot; said Ziegler in southern Bengaluru city. 
 
Meanwhile, French naval contractor DCNS has also said it may have been the victim of &quot;economic warfare&quot; after secrets about its Scorpene submarines being built in India were leaked. 
 
&#39;Investigating the impact&#39;&nbsp; 
 
An investigation has been launched by India after The Australian newspaper reported a leak of more than 22,000 pages outlining the secret capabilities of six submarines that French builder DCNS has designed for the Indian Navy. 
 
The submarines are being built, for an estimated cost of $3.5 billion according to media reports, at a state-run shipyard in western&nbsp;Mumbai and the first one was expected to join service by the end of the year, the first step in the navy&#39;s effort to rebuild its dwindling fleet. 
 
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<h5>India has a fleet of 13 ageing submarines, only half of which are operational at any time, opening up a major gap with China which is expanding its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean.</h5>
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The leak has raised doubts about the security of DCNS&#39;s submarine project in Australia where it is locked in exclusive negotiations after seeing off rivals for a A$50 billion ($38 billion) contract to build the Barracuda next generation of submarines. 
 
The breadth of detail in the documents creates a major strategic problem for India, Malaysia and Chile, all of which operate the same submarine, an Australian political source with decades of experience in the global arms industry told Reuters. 
 
The Indian defence ministry said in a statement it was investigating the impact of the leak on the submarine programme which it said had occurred from abroad.&nbsp; 
 
India has a fleet of 13 ageing submarines, only half of which are operational at any time, opening up a major gap with China which is expanding its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean. 
 
 
Leak comes against difficult commerical backdrop: DCNS backdrop&nbsp; 
 
DCNS, which is 35 per cent owned by Thales, said it was working to determine if any harm had been caused to clients with a view to drawing up an action plan. 
 
Asked if the leak could affect other contracts, a company spokeswoman said it had come against a difficult commercial backdrop and that corporate espionage could be to blame. 
 
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<h5>Competition is getting tougher and tougher, and all means can be used in this context,&quot; a spokesman said and added, &quot;There is India, Australia and other prospects, and other countries could raise legitimate questions over DCNS.&quot;</h5>
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&quot;Competition is getting tougher and tougher, and all means can be used in this context,&quot; she said. &quot;There is India, Australia and other prospects, and other countries could raise legitimate questions over DCNS. It&#39;s part of the tools in economic warfare.&quot; 
 
DCNS, which is also vying for submarine contracts in Norway and Poland, beat Germany&#39;s ThyssenKrupp AG and a Japanese-government backed bid by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Australia. 
 
That was a major blow to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s push to develop defence export capabilities as part of a more muscular security agenda. 
 
Thales, whose shares fell 3 per cent before paring back some of the losses, declined to comment. 
 
French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who finalised the Australian deal, also declined to comment. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

The $3.5 submarine data leak has pushed India to launch an investigation. Indian defence ministry claims that the leak occurred from abroad

France is working closely with India on the Scorpene document leak case, said French ambassador Alexandre Ziegler on Wednesday. "The French authorities are taking the matter very very seriously. We are working on it very seriously with DCNS, with the (unclear). And we are trying to access the extent, the nature, the sensitivity of information of.. may have been leaked. And we will work in this very very close cooperation and full transparency with the Indian authorities," said Ziegler in southern Bengaluru city. Meanwhile, French naval contractor DCNS has also said it may have been the victim of "economic warfare" after secrets about its Scorpene submarines being built in India were leaked. 'Investigating the impact' An investigation has been launched by India after The Australian newspaper reported a leak of more than 22,000 pages outlining the secret capabilities of six submarines that French builder DCNS has designed for the Indian Navy. The submarines are being built, for an estimated cost of $3.5 billion according to media reports, at a state-run shipyard in western Mumbai and the first one was expected to join service by the end of the year, the first step in the navy's effort to rebuild its dwindling fleet. India has a fleet of 13 ageing submarines, only half of which are operational at any time, opening up a major gap with China which is expanding its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean. The leak has raised doubts about the security of DCNS's submarine project in Australia where it is locked in exclusive negotiations after seeing off rivals for a A$50 billion ($38 billion) contract to build the Barracuda next generation of submarines. The breadth of detail in the documents creates a major strategic problem for India, Malaysia and Chile, all of which operate the same submarine, an Australian political source with decades of experience in the global arms industry told Reuters. The Indian defence ministry said in a statement it was investigating the impact of the leak on the submarine programme which it said had occurred from abroad. India has a fleet of 13 ageing submarines, only half of which are operational at any time, opening up a major gap with China which is expanding its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean. Leak comes against difficult commerical backdrop: DCNS backdrop DCNS, which is 35 per cent owned by Thales, said it was working to determine if any harm had been caused to clients with a view to drawing up an action plan. Asked if the leak could affect other contracts, a company spokeswoman said it had come against a difficult commercial backdrop and that corporate espionage could be to blame. Competition is getting tougher and tougher, and all means can be used in this context," a spokesman said and added, "There is India, Australia and other prospects, and other countries could raise legitimate questions over DCNS." "Competition is getting tougher and tougher, and all means can be used in this context," she said. "There is India, Australia and other prospects, and other countries could raise legitimate questions over DCNS. It's part of the tools in economic warfare." DCNS, which is also vying for submarine contracts in Norway and Poland, beat Germany's ThyssenKrupp AG and a Japanese-government backed bid by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Australia. That was a major blow to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to develop defence export capabilities as part of a more muscular security agenda. Thales, whose shares fell 3 per cent before paring back some of the losses, declined to comment. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who finalised the Australian deal, also declined to comment. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

France assures India support on Scorpene document leak, naval contractor DCNS suspects 'economic warfare'

Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Wednesday (July 27) some objects were located during the search for its missing military plane that disappeared into the Bay of Bengal after taking off from the southern city of Chennai with 29 people on board. 
 
The Indian Air Force (IAF) plane carrying 21 military personnel, six crew members and two civilians - was on its way to Port Blair, the capital of India&#39;s Andaman and Nicobar islands, when it disappeared from radar on Friday (July 22). 
 
Speaking to reporters after a function in southern Rameswaram town, Parrikar said it was yet to be confirmed if the located objects were that of the missing plane. 
 
&quot;There is no confirmed report of anything but there are some objects located. The ships have been asked to verify them and unless something is positively located, it cannot be confirmed. As of now it is only indicated. We are not leaving anything to chances. So, we have asked ship to check up,&quot; Parrikar said. 
 
Numerous ships, submarines and aircrafts are involved in extensive search for the plane that disappeared on a routine re-supply flight over the Bay of Bengal. 
 
The aircraft was last detected on radar 151 nautical miles east of Chennai, making a left turn with a rapid loss of height from 23,000 ft, according to a note provided by the air force to the Defence Ministry. 
 
The AN-32 is a workhorse of the air force, chosen for its ability to operate from short runways. 
 
The air force has 101 of the AN-32s that entered service in 1984 and have gone through mid-life upgrades and life extensions since then 
 
(Reuters) 
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Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said he has asked the ships to verify the located objects before confirming the findings

Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Wednesday (July 27) some objects were located during the search for its missing military plane that disappeared into the Bay of Bengal after taking off from the southern city of Chennai with 29 people on board. The Indian Air Force (IAF) plane carrying 21 military personnel, six crew members and two civilians - was on its way to Port Blair, the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar islands, when it disappeared from radar on Friday (July 22). Speaking to reporters after a function in southern Rameswaram town, Parrikar said it was yet to be confirmed if the located objects were that of the missing plane. "There is no confirmed report of anything but there are some objects located. The ships have been asked to verify them and unless something is positively located, it cannot be confirmed. As of now it is only indicated. We are not leaving anything to chances. So, we have asked ship to check up," Parrikar said. Numerous ships, submarines and aircrafts are involved in extensive search for the plane that disappeared on a routine re-supply flight over the Bay of Bengal. The aircraft was last detected on radar 151 nautical miles east of Chennai, making a left turn with a rapid loss of height from 23,000 ft, according to a note provided by the air force to the Defence Ministry. The AN-32 is a workhorse of the air force, chosen for its ability to operate from short runways. The air force has 101 of the AN-32s that entered service in 1984 and have gone through mid-life upgrades and life extensions since then (Reuters)

India locates objects during search for missing IAF plane

Creating history, Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh today became the first Indian women fighter pilots to be formally commissioned by the Indian Air Force (IAF). 
 
Batting for gender parity in the armed forces, Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar, who was chief guest at the combined graduation ceremony at Dundugal Air Force Academy, in the southern Telangana state, termed the event as a &quot;milestone&quot; as it also the first time that women had&nbsp;been given a combat role. 
 
&quot;It is a golden letter day...,&quot; he said, asserting that &quot;step-by-step&quot;, &quot;total gender parity&quot; will be achieved in the armed forces in the coming years. 
 
&quot;There are technical and administrative difficulties which we are likely to face in certain areas, so, step by step we will see that this parity is achieved. Number will depend on how many we can accommodate depending on our infrastructure,&quot; Parrikar said. 
 
Expressing happiness, the three women pilots, who successfully completed pre-commissioning training by the flight cadets of various branches of IAF, said they consider themselves &quot;fortunate&quot; and were excited to take on their duties. 
 
The trio will go to Bidar, a city&nbsp;in the southern state of Karnataka, for their stage-III training for a year on Hawk advanced jet trainers, before they get to fly supersonic warplanes. 
 
Six female cadets were competing to become fighter pilots after the Indian government, in a landmark move, approved an IAF plan in October to induct them as fighter pilots. 
 
However, only three female trainees were selected for the fighter stream. 
 
Parrikar, who reviewed the passing out parade, conferred &#39;President&#39;s Commission&#39; on behalf the President to 130 flight cadets, including 22 women trainees, who were commissioned as flying officers.

Out of six competing female cadets, three were selected for the fighter pilot's course and training

Creating history, Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh today became the first Indian women fighter pilots to be formally commissioned by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Batting for gender parity in the armed forces, Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar, who was chief guest at the combined graduation ceremony at Dundugal Air Force Academy, in the southern Telangana state, termed the event as a "milestone" as it also the first time that women had been given a combat role. "It is a golden letter day...," he said, asserting that "step-by-step", "total gender parity" will be achieved in the armed forces in the coming years. "There are technical and administrative difficulties which we are likely to face in certain areas, so, step by step we will see that this parity is achieved. Number will depend on how many we can accommodate depending on our infrastructure," Parrikar said. Expressing happiness, the three women pilots, who successfully completed pre-commissioning training by the flight cadets of various branches of IAF, said they consider themselves "fortunate" and were excited to take on their duties. The trio will go to Bidar, a city in the southern state of Karnataka, for their stage-III training for a year on Hawk advanced jet trainers, before they get to fly supersonic warplanes. Six female cadets were competing to become fighter pilots after the Indian government, in a landmark move, approved an IAF plan in October to induct them as fighter pilots. However, only three female trainees were selected for the fighter stream. Parrikar, who reviewed the passing out parade, conferred 'President's Commission' on behalf the President to 130 flight cadets, including 22 women trainees, who were commissioned as flying officers.

On cloud nine: Indian Air Force commissions its first women fighter pilots