New Delhi: India may soon sign a deal to purchase 114 Rafale fighter jets from France. The deal has already received approval from the Defence Acquisition Council. It is being reported that France will also provide India with the source code for the Rafale fighter jets as part of this deal. However, according to French business outlet L’Essentiel de l’Éco, the French government has categorically refused to transfer the source code required for the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite and other core electronic systems as part of the ongoing negotiations with India for 114 Rafale fighter jets.
How will not getting the Rafale source code hurt India?
The report claims that the freeze on the source code will deprive India of the ability to independently integrate certain sensors and weapons or customize the Rafale’s software without French approval and assistance. According to the report, France views this source code as a proprietary product developed over decades that cannot be shared with any other country.
What will India get in place of Rafale’s source code?
The report also states that France may provide application programming interfaces (APIs) in place of Rafale’s source code. This will allow India to integrate its systems without having to look at the proprietary logic behind them. In addition to India, France has already offered application programming interfaces to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As the first international customer for the Rafale F4 standard, the UAE signed an agreement to integrate its indigenous guided weapons using the API.
India currently operates F3-R standard Rafale jets
India currently operates the F3-R standard Rafale jets, which have 13 India-specific enhancements. However, the new deal with France will include 114 aircraft of the F4 standard. According to reports, out of the 114 fighter jets, India is negotiating the option of converting the last 24 into the next-generation F5 standard.
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