India Initiates Negotiations With France On Rafale Fighters

France will deliver 36 Dassault Rafale fighter jets and associated equipment as per the configuration approved by the Indian Air Force with longer maintenance responsibility.

The negotiations on the terms and conditions of the purchase have started, Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said Tuesday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an inter-governmental agreement with France to buy 36 Rafale jets in an off-the-shelf deal in April.

“The two leaders had agreed to conclude an inter-governmental agreement for supply of the aircraft on terms that would be better than conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway and the delivery would be in time-frame that would be compatible with the operational requirement of IAF,” Parrikar said in a written reply in the parliament.

The aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by IAF and with a longer maintenance responsibility by France, he said.