Nuclear submarine will be a leapfrog for India-France ties, bring New Delhi into exclusive club

France’s offer could catapult India into yet another exclusive club of a select few countries that possess a whole range of submarines.

Representational image | France has offered India major deals including nuclear-powered attack submarines or the SSNs | Photo via Wikimedia Commons

India’s dependable partner and long-time friend, France, is once again back to help New Delhi realise its strategic ambitions.

The two-day India-France strategic dialogue between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the French President’s Diplomatic Advisor Emanuel Bonne is set to take place in Paris on 30 September and 1 October. But, just before this upcoming dialogue, France has offered India major deals including nuclear-powered attack submarines or the SSNs.

India’s existing fleet of submarines does not yet have an SSN.

Upcoming India-France Strategic Dialogue

This would be the first bilateral strategic engagement between the two friends after French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to India in January 2024 as the Republic Day chief guest. The nine-month delay can perhaps be attributed to political instability in Macron’s universe, with a hung government in search of an acceptable prime minister after uncalled-for snap elections in July. Moreover, France was also conducting Olympic and Paralympic Games in the middle of this chaos.

Finally, Paris has a brand-new prime minister in the form of Michel Barnier, and the government can run other agendas in the face of mounting debt crises and political divides. Macron, too, seems to have switched attention quickly to foreign policy and defence, which are key areas of a French president’s mandate—and his attention is once again on India.

In the run-up to this strategic dialogue, the time-tested and celebrated India-France defence partnership is ready to leapfrog into the realm of submarine technology.

Let’s decode this better.

So far, India has only twice leased an SSN from Russia to experience its operational aspects. Those were called the Chakra SSNs that were returned to Russia after the lease. India never developed its own SSNs.

France’s offer, thus, could catapult India into yet another exclusive club of a select few countries that possess a whole range of submarines. This will add formidable capabilities to its stealth and firepower in the choppy waters of today’s geopolitical churning.

It has offered to support the construction of nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). In a first, India has been offered state-of-the-art Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), advanced sea drones that will be used for a whole range of activities in the fluid universe of the seas. Finally, France has also offered a 100 per cent transfer of technology (ToT) for 110 kilo Newton thrust aircraft engines for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

These crucial plans might be discussed when Doval meets Bonne in a few days. But what makes these offers so special? And will they even fly?

Latest in India-France defence cooperation

Not long after the news broke about India finalising a 26 Rafale Marine jet deal for aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, it was reported that the Indian Navy could be procuring at least two Rafale simulation centres for training its crew, including pilots.

Additionally, the Indian Air Force may be looking at acquiring more Rafale fighters to ramp up its depleting squadrons. Although it would be better for India to focus on its indigenous AMCA programme to reduce dependence on imports. It is much better to collaborate with trusted foreign partners like France to co-develop the 110 KN engine required for AMCAs, which by the way, has been on offer from the French side for a while now.

France’s footprint in India’s defence industrial ecosystem has been growing in line with the latter’s vision for self-reliance. In a recent development, Dassault Aviation – which makes both Rafales and Mirage-2000 jets that India uses – has already progressed in establishing a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility near Noida to service them both. It may be recalled that Dassault is also a contender to supply 114 jets to the IAF for its Medium Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme, although a final decision on that remains far-fetched.

As stated earlier, New Delhi has to find the right balance between procurement and ‘Make in India’. A skewed dependence on the former will always stem India’s progress in self-reliance.

The other major French player in the Indian defence ecosystem is Safran, which manufactures engines for the Rafale jets. A 100 per cent French design, these M-88 engines could be entirely produced in India at Safran’s MRO facility in Hyderabad, if they receive a significant order.

Then, Safran is also collaborating with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to design, develop and manufacture a turboshaft engine for the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and the Deck Based Multi Role helicopters (DB-MRH).

But there is more.

Paris’ significant splash in the ever-vibrant pool of India’s defence industry comes at a time when the Navy is aspiring to build at least two nuclear attack submarines.

Sea power differentials

India seeks to strengthen its sea-based deterrence in an equation where the favour is tilted toward China. Beijing boasts of having the world’s largest navy by sheer number of vessels. These are mainly the six Jin-class nuclear-powered Ballistic submarines with significantly higher firepower than India’s Arighat or its predecessor, Arihant. Also, the power differential with Pakistan has been declining as Beijing’s support for Islamabad’s submarine capabilities is more conspicuous than ever.

For effective nuclear deterrence at sea, India requires at least two more SSBNs so that one can be deployed at all times, and some SSNs as well.

What kind of submarines are the French offering and how are they different from what India already has or has been developing?

To understand this, it’s important to draw the big picture of how India’s submarine capabilities are dispersed.

Currently, India has a total of 18 subs. Out of these, two are ballistic missile subs (SSBNs). The first was Arihant and the second was Arighat. The latter was commissioned with huge fanfare by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently.

India had originally planned for four SSBNs. The remaining two are reportedly being built but the exact details remain a state secret.

As mentioned above, India still doesn’t have SSNs. It has diesel-electric attack submarines called SSKs. We operate 17 of these boats, which can be broadly divided into the Sindhughsoh (referred to as kilo) Class which is designed by Germans. Then there is the Kalvari Class, which is based on the French Scorpene-Class and falls under India’s Project 75 or P-75(I). By the way, India, in partnership with the Mazagaon Dock, has recently placed a fresh order with France to build three more Kalvari Class submarines.

Finally, there is also the long-standing diesel-electric air-independent propulsion-enabled submarine project, P-75(I), which is still awaiting a decision. The choice is between Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Spain’s Navantia, both with respective Indian partners to build the project.

Now the French have offered the development of SSNs, based on their own Barracuda class subs with significant ToT. The finer details are not yet known and could be discussed when the two sides meet in Paris shortly. Regarded as the crown jewel of military capability, if the deal on SSNs comes through, it would be the most staggering success for the India-France defence bonhomie.

Dronification of future maritime warfare

France has also offered India advanced UUVs that could be used for a variety of tasks including surveillance, research, weaponry, search and operation and of course defence.

But once again, the nation faces a tilted power balance with China operating the HSU-001 UUVs, which is roughly comparable to UUVs operated by the United States and United Kingdom’s UUV versions. Beijing has reportedly tested them around the Taiwan Strait region.

Therefore, it is high time that New Delhi starts preparing for these tactical capabilities, which are equally effective in hybrid warfare and are a defining feature of security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

The India-France defence partnership has come a long way and has created space for more. The real lasting push, however, will only come when these partnerships are complemented by technological cooperation and innovation. These are going to be the hallmarks of future defence industry cooperation. Most likely the still classified India-France Defence Industrial Roadmap already contains substantive plans to be steered at the NSA level.

And perhaps that is why it is the NSA who’s travelling to Paris for the upcoming strategic dialogue.

The writer is an Associate Fellow, Europe and Eurasia Center, at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. She tweets @swasrao. Views are personal.

(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)