Faced with an imminent nuclear war with Pakistan, India signed an agreement with France.

On Monday, India signed an agreement with France to acquire 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets, manufactured by the French company Dassault Aviation, for a value of 630 billion rupees (approximately 7.4 billion dollars).

This contract, confirmed by the Indian Ministry of Defense, will strengthen bilateral defense cooperation with France, India's second-largest arms supplier after Russia.

According to the official statement, the purchase includes 22 single-seat and 4 two-seat units, along with simulators, associated equipment, weapons, performance-based logistics, and crew training both in France and India.

Deliveries are expected to be completed by 2030. Additionally, the agreement includes the acquisition of additional equipment for the current fleet of 36 Rafale jets operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

This agreement marks a milestone in the modernization of the Indian Armed Forces, which aim to reduce their dependence on Russian-origin equipment and strengthen domestic arms production.

In particular, the new Rafale Marine are intended to operate from Indian-made aircraft carriers, replacing the aging Russian MiG-29K fighters currently used by the Navy.

The final decision to proceed with the purchase was approved in early April by India's national security cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The intention to acquire these fighters had already been announced in 2023 during Modi's visit to France for Bastille Day celebrations.

India has been diversifying its arms purchases in recent years. Although it has historically maintained close military ties with Russia, recent geopolitical tensions and technical challenges with Russian weaponry have driven greater cooperation with France, the United States, and Israel.

France, in particular, has been a consistent supplier since the 1980s, when India acquired the Mirage 2000, and more recently, the Scorpene submarines.

The signing of this contract also occurs in a context of growing tension with Pakistan. Relations between the two countries have worsened following an attack in April in the Indian-administered Kashmir region, which left 26 dead.

New Delhi has accused Islamabad of being behind the attack, something Pakistan denies. Since then, both countries have exchanged fire, diplomatic measures, and closed borders, raising the risk of a possible military escalation.

Besides Pakistan, India also keeps a tense relationship with China, especially since the deadly clash between troops of both countries in 2020.

This has accelerated defense reforms in India, which include simplifying laws to facilitate domestic production and co-production of critical military technology. In this decade, India has inaugurated a new helicopter factory, launched its first domestically-made aircraft carrier, and successfully tested a long-range hypersonic missile.

India is currently the world's largest arms importer, accounting for about 10% of global purchases between 2019 and 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

However, it has also begun to consolidate an emerging arms export market, with sales reaching 2.63 billion dollars last year, multiplying by 30 in a decade.

This new agreement with France not only enhances the operational capability of the Indian Navy but also reaffirms India's role as a growing strategic player on the international stage.