🇫🇷 MACRON’S FEB 17 VISIT: DEFENCE, TRADE & STRATEGIC REBOOT Rafale Marine, SSN pact, Indo-Pacific axis — what aspirants must know

🇫🇷 MACRON’S FEB 17 VISIT: DEFENCE, TRADE & STRATEGIC REBOOT

Rafale Marine, SSN pact, Indo-Pacific axis — what aspirants must know

⚡ AI-generated concept: Macron visit 2025 · strategic defence dialogue

📅 FEBRUARY 17, 2025 · 6 MIN READ · BY ALERTANT DEFENCE TEAM 🏷️ #MacronVisit #UPSC #DefenceDeal

French President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming visit on February 17 marks a watershed moment in the India-France strategic partnership. Unlike routine diplomatic engagements, this visit is expected to finalize the long-negotiated Rafale Marine deal (26 aircraft for INS Vikrant) and initiate discussions on joint development of next-generation submarines (SSN) under the ‘Make in India’ rubric. Trade corridors, civil nuclear cooperation, and technology sharing in AI & space are also on the high table.

For defence and UPSC aspirants, this visit isn’t just news — it’s a syllabus-relevant case study in ‘Strategic Autonomy’, ‘Indo-Pacific construct’, and ‘Defence industrial ecosystem’. The Elysée has signalled that Macron will be accompanied by CEOs of Safran, Naval Group, and TotalEnergies, indicating a shift from buyer-seller to co-development partner.

📘 KEY NOTES FOR ASPIRANTS

• Rafale Marine: 26 twin-engine fighters, naval version; talks for 117 additional engines for Tejas Mk1A.
• SSN project: Joint design & construction of 6 nuclear attack submarines; technology transfer unprecedented.
• Strategic autonomy: France backs India’s indigenous aircraft carrier, BrahMos-II, and satellite launches.
• EU-India trade corridor: IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe) connectivity push – France key supporter.
• Defence industrial roadmap: Co-production of helicopters (Safran), artillery, and cyber warfare systems.

📝 PYQs – EXAM CONTEXT

Q1. Which of the following is India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, recently in news with French naval cooperation?

(a) INS Vikramaditya
(b) INS Vikrant
(c) INS Vishal
(d) INS Arihant

✅ Answer: (b) INS Vikrant – Rafale Marine MRCAS deal for this carrier.

Q2. ‘Strategic Autonomy’ in the context of India-France relations refers to:

(a) Non-alignment 2.0
(b) Independent defence manufacturing without technology transfer
(c) Capacity to take independent decisions while partnering multiple nations
(d) Exclusively military alliance

✅ Answer: (c) – France respects India’s strategic autonomy; co-development reflects this.

Q3. Which French company is associated with the SSN (nuclear submarine) collaboration with India?

(a) Dassault Aviation
(b) Thales Group
(c) Naval Group
(d) MBDA

✅ Answer: (c) Naval Group – already partner for Scorpene; SSN co-design next.

📌 more PYQs in mock test module ↓

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⚡ 10 questions · defence & strategic affairs · timer included (link you can add later)

📢 UPSC CSE 2025 ALERT: France-India strategic ties have been asked 4 times in mains since 2018. Rafale, SSN, and Indo-Pacific are high-probability areas. Do not skip!

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⚖️ DISCLAIMER: This article is a self-contained Blogger post. All images are AI-generated conceptual representations. Facts sourced from public announcements; may be subject to change. This content is for aspirant guidance and does not infringe any copyright. No commercial use intended. Some PYQs are modelled on UPSC pattern, not actual exam questions.

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