India’s self-reliance push ‘completely normal’: French Air Force vice chief on India-France defence ties

India and France are looking to deepen their defence partnership, with cooperation spanning air power, emerging technologies, space and the defence industry, Vice Chief of the French Air and Space Force, Lieutenant General Dominique Tardif, told Mint.

Tardif described the India-France partnership as long-standing and said both countries were seeking to further strengthen cooperation across multiple domains.

“The India-France partnership has a long history; it started more than 75 years ago, and France is India’s oldest strategic partner. At the beginning of this year, French President Emmanuel Macron visited India and met Prime Minister Modi, and they decided to reinforce the bilateral partnership, elevating it into a Special Global Strategic Partnership,” Tardif told Mint on the sidelines of the NDTV Defence Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

He said the two countries wanted to expand cooperation beyond traditional defence areas.

“Both countries want to continue to reinforce and foster the partnership in different domains. We have a very strong and deep partnership between our Air Forces, but there are also areas such as artificial intelligence, digitalisation and space where we can continue to cooperate,” he said.

Defence technology and India's push for self-reliance

India's push to expand domestic defence production under the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative and develop greater technological expertise is also emerging as an important area of cooperation.

Tardif said France understood India's emphasis on sovereignty and its desire to build greater expertise within the domestic defence industry, noting that France itself is sensitive to questions of sovereignty.

“This question is important because France is also very sensitive to sovereignty. It is understandable that India is also very sensitive to questions of sovereignty. That is why India’s desire to ramp up expertise in its defence industry is something that is completely normal for us,” he said.

He stressed the need for greater coordination between the two countries' defence industries while respecting their respective sovereignty.

“They have to find solutions to create good synchronisation and a strong partnership in the defence industry. The objective should be to build greater cooperation between the two sides while respecting their respective sovereignty,” Tardif said.

France joins India's Tarang Shakti exercise

The deepening defence relationship between India and France is also reflected in joint military exercises and greater operational interaction between the two air forces.

The French Air and Space Force arrived in Jodhpur on September 25 to participate in the second edition of the Indian Air Force-led multinational air combat exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, as part of France's long-range Mission PÉGASE 26.

According to the French Embassy press release, France deployed four Rafale fighter jets and a 300-member contingent for the exercise.

Tardif also visited Air Force Station Jodhpur and met Exercise Director Air Vice Marshal Raj Thakur to discuss interoperability and tactical coordination between the two forces.

Tarang Shakti 2026 is being conducted from September 26 to October 12 under the theme “Power in Partnership”, bringing together participating air forces to enhance interoperability, share expertise, and strengthen operational cooperation, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Seven friendly foreign countries — Australia, the US, UAE, France, Germany, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — are participating in the exercise.

The exercise features a range of aircraft, including the F-35 Lightning II, Rafale, F-16, A400M, MRTT, C-130, C-130J and KC-30A.

Tardif said the French side was looking forward to greater interaction with participating forces during the exercise.

“We are very happy and excited to be part of this joint exercise. I am sure it will be very interesting because there will be good interaction between the two sides,” he said.

France's participation in Tarang Shakti is part of Mission PÉGASE 26, its seventh long-range air projection exercise, which runs from September 8 to October 15.

The mission aims to demonstrate France's ability to project long-range air power and operate alongside partner forces, according to the French Embassy.

About the Author

Bhanu Pratap is a journalist who reports and writes on foreign affairs, India’s foreign policy, geopolitics and strategic affairs. He closely follows diplomatic developments in New Delhi and has a keen interest in defence and national security.<br> <br> Bhanu also focuses on in-depth, interview-based reports and regularly speaking with experts and policymakers to bring perspectives and context to major developments around the world.<br> <br> He is also interested in stories with strong humanitarian angles.<br><br> One such report examined the cases of Indian nationals who were allegedly recruited and forced into Russia’s war against Ukraine. While reporting the story, Bhanu spoke to the families of those affected and documented their experiences. The report was later taken into account by the United Nations in its findings on human rights violations linked to the war in Ukraine.<br> <br> For Bhanu, the zeal to produce meaningful and impactful journalism remains at the heart of his work.<br> <br>He has previously worked with Firstpost, NDTV, Newslaundry and Republic.<br><br> Bhanu studied at the Delhi School of Journalism, University of Delhi. He initially chose science with plans to pursue engineering, influenced by conventional expectations, but fate had other plans and eventually led him to journalism.<br><br> Beyond the newsroom, Bhanu enjoys exploring culture and history and often spends his days off on heritage walks. He is also passionate about travelling, biking and listening to folk music.<br> <br>For tips, reviews and suggestions, you can reach him at bhanu.pratap@htdigital.in.

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