INDIA FRANCE SCRAP MISSILE DEAL from Vajirao & Reddy Institute

INDIA FRANCE SCRAP MISSILE DEAL

• India and France are close to signing a major defence deal worth around ?3,200 crore (300 million euros).
• India plans to purchase additional SCALP long-range cruise missiles from France.
• These missiles were successfully used by the Indian Air Force (IAF) during Operation Sindoor (2025).
• A final decision on the deal is expected soon.

• Operation Sindoor was a major cross-border precision strike conducted by India in May 2025.
• It was launched after the Pahalgam terror attack (22 April 2025) in Jammu & Kashmir.
• 26 civilians were killed, including:
  • One Indian Navy officer
  • One Nepali citizen
• It became India’s largest strike after the Balakot Airstrike (2019).

• SCALP missiles were fired from Rafale fighter jets.
• Targets included terror headquarters of:
  • Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
  • Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)
• Locations: Muridke and Bahawalpur (Pakistan).
• The missiles achieved pinpoint accuracy.
• After the initial strike, the Indian Air Force:
  • Attacked 12 Pakistan Air Force bases
  • Destroyed fighter jets and surveillance aircraft on the ground
• India used multiple high-precision weapons:
  • SCALP cruise missiles
  • BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles
  • HAMMER precision-guided bombs
  • Loitering munitions (used for surveillance and final strike)
• Total 9 terror-linked sites were targeted:
  • 4 in mainland Pakistan
  • 5 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) clarified that:
  • No Pakistani military installations were targeted
  • Only verified terror centres were attacked

• SCALP is also known as Storm Shadow.
• Full form: Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée.
• It means long-range autonomous cruise missile.

• Air-launched cruise missile

• More than 250 km
• Provides stand-off strike capability (can hit targets without entering enemy airspace)

• Flies at very low altitude to avoid radar detection
• Uses GPS, inertial navigation and infrared seeker
• Designed for deep-penetration strikes
• Can destroy:
  • Bunkers
  • Command centres
  • Air bases
  • Ammunition depots

• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Greece
• India
• In India, it is integrated with Rafale fighter aircraft.

• India is purchasing Meteor air-to-air missiles for Rafale jets.
• 26 Rafale Marine aircraft have been ordered for the Indian Navy.
• The Air Force is planning to procure 114 additional Rafale aircraft.
• In the next 10–15 years, India may have around 200 Rafale jets.
• Rafale is expected to become the mainstay fighter aircraft of the IAF.