(Source: French Ministry of the Armed Forces; issued Oct. 08, 2019)
India’s defense minister officially took delivery of the first four of 36 Rafale fighters this morning at Dassault’s main plant in Bordeaux-Mérignac. These aircraft will remain in France to train Indian Air Force instructor pilots until mid-2020. (Dassault photo)
The first delivery of a series of 36 aircraft, this milestone symbolizes the excellent relationship between France and India.
The Indian Minister of Defense of the Republic of India, Mr. Rajnath Singh, is paying a visit to France on October 8 and 9, 2019 on the occasion of the delivery of the first Rafale aircraft to India.
This visit will be marked by a ceremony on the Dassault Aviation site in Mérignac. The Minister of the Armed Forces, Mrs. Florence Parly, will welcome Mr. Rajnath Singh in the presence of the Chief Executive Officer Mr. Eric Trappier.
This move is a major step in the relationship with India, one of the main strategic partners of France in Indo-Pacific. In the coming years, 36 Rafale aircraft will be delivered to India as part of the intergovernmental agreement signed on 23 September 2016 between the French and Indian governments.
Following the Rafale ceremony, the two ministers will hold talks in the context of the second annual Franco-Indian defense dialogue. They will address the many perspectives of the already rich bilateral defense cooperation, as well as the security issues in the Indo-Pacific region, for which France has recently published its defense strategy.
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(Source: Dassault Aviation; issued Oct. 08, 2019)
The event was placed under the high patronage of the Honourable Shri Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence of India and the Honourable Ms. Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France.
The ceremony, three years after the signature of the contract in 2016 for the acquisition of 36 Rafale to equip the Indian Air Force, marks the concretization of the strategic relationship between India and France and the celebration of the history of mutual trust between India and Dassault Aviation for more than 65 years.
The Indian Defence Minister @RajnathSingh visited the IAF Rafale assembly line with our Chairman & CEO at our Merignac plant this morning. pic.twitter.com/IGDsz9HaBp
— Dassault Aviation (@Dassault_OnAir) October 8, 2019
The handover of the first IAF Rafale materializes the determination of the French Authorities to fulfill the expectations and needs of the Government of India to comfort India’s protection and sovereignty and illustrates the exemplary cooperation between Dassault Aviation and the Indian Air Force, one of the most remarkable partners Dassault Aviation has ever worked with.
The setup of the Dassault Reliance JV (DRAL) production facility in Nagpur as well as the significant support of the educational and scientific policy of the Indian Government through the establishing of an engineering center in Pune, the creation of the “Dassault Skill Academy“ and the implementation of a vocational training programme “Aeronautical Structure and Equipment Fitter“, demonstrate Dassault Aviation’s full commitment to the “Make in India“ and “Skill India“ initiatives in building the foundations for a national aerospace and defence ecosystem to become a worldwide reference of the sector.
Supported by Dassault Aviation partners, Thales already present in Nagpur, Safran to inaugurate its facility in Hyderabad as well as the French aeronautics and defence community among which twenty companies are already settled in India, this approach will mutually benefit both Indian and French industries and will contribute to guaranty both countries to meet tomorrow’s aeronautical challenges.
“I am particularly honored to host this ceremony today as India is part of Dassault Aviation’s DNA. The long and trustful relationship we share is an undeniable success and underpins my determination of establishing for the long-term Dassault Aviation in India.
“We stand alongside the Indian Air Force since 1953, we are totally committed to fulfill its requirements for the decades to come and to be part of India’s ambitious vision for the future,” declared Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.
Dassault Aviation aircraft have been an integral part of Indian defence forces for over six decades. The first Dassault Aviation aircraft, Toofani was supplied to India in 1953, followed by the Mystere IV, the naval Alize, the Jaguar (manufactured under license by HAL), and the Mirage 2000. These aircraft have contributed to Indian sovereignty all along and the Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft continues to be the IAF’s ‘cutting edge’ till date. 36 Rafales fighter aircraft has been acquired on September 23rd 2016 to equip the Indian Air Force.
With over 10,000 military and civil aircraft (including 2,500 Falcons) delivered in more than 90 countries over the last century, Dassault Aviation has built up expertise recognized worldwide in the design, development, sale and support of all types of aircraft, ranging from the Rafale fighter, to the high-end Falcon family of business jets and military drones. In 2018, Dassault Aviation reported revenues of €5.1 billion. The company has 11,500 employees.
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