Paris [France], June 5 (ANI): Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh concluded a three-day official visit to France, reaffirming the strong and enduring partnership between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the French Air and Space Force (AAEF), the Indian Embassy in France said.

In a post on X, the Embassy stated that the visit underscored deep-rooted defence cooperation between the two air forces.

https://x.com/IndiaembFrance/status/2062564971448590517?s=20

'The Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, PVSM AVSM, has concluded a three-day official visit to France, reaffirming the deeply rooted partnership between the IAF and the French Air and Space Force (AAEF). The Chief of Air Staff held bilateral discussions with General Jerome Bellanger, Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force, at the AAEF headquarters in Balard, where he was received with military honours by a guard of honour,' the post stated.

The Indian Embassy in France further said that, 'The Chief of Air Staff also paid a visit to General Vincent Giraud, Chief of the Military Staff to the President of the French Republic, and addressed officers, including Indian officer cadets on exchange, at the Ecole de guerre, Ecole Militaire. The Chief of Air Staff visited the Mont-de-Marsan Air Combat Centre, undertook a familiarisation flight aboard the A-400M from Orleans Air Base, and met with leading defence industry players, including Dassault Aviation, Thales, Safran, and MBDA, thereby advancing the #MakeInIndia initiative.'

On June 1, India issued the Letter of Request (LoR) to France for the mega government-to-government deal worth around Rs 3.25 lakh crore to buy 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.

Top Defence Ministry sources told ANI that the Letter of Request was issued last week by the Acquisition Wing of the Defence Ministry to the French government officials for the deal. The deal would see 94 Rafale jets being manufactured in India by the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation in partnership with an Indian company.

The French side is expected to reply to the Indian Letter of Request or tender in the next two to three months and the two sides are likely to conclude the negotiations and the deal within the next one year, they said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit France around mid-June, and the Rafale deal is also expected to come up for discussions during the meetings with the French leadership.

While the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy have placed orders for 62 Rafale planes already, the 114 Rafale order will take the numbers to 176. The Indian Navy has also already expressed its intent to induct 31 more of these planes to tackle maritime threats, and that may take the number of Rafales in the country to over 200.

The Defence Ministry carried out a major study under Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to enhance the capability of the Indian Air Force soon after he took over in 2024 and the Defence Ministry has been working towards that in a focused manner.

The Defence Acquisition Council had cleared the Indian Air Force proposal to acquire the 114 Rafale jets over four months ago. (ANI)