India to purchase fighter jets from France
It has been reported that India has signed a $7.4 billion agreement with France for the procurement of 26 Rafale fighter jets.
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According to a statement from the Indian Ministry of Defence, India and France have signed a $7.4 billion "intergovernmental agreement" in New Delhi for the inclusion of 26 Rafale jets into the Indian Navy.
The agreement, which also includes the purchase of additional equipment for the Indian Air Force's Rafale fleet, covers the provision of technology transfer for the integration of domestic weapons in the country and the establishment of a facility for the production of Rafale aircraft fuselages.
Under the agreement, which expects the aircraft to be delivered by 2030, crews will receive training in both France and India.
The statement noted that the Rafale-Marine, produced by the French defense company Dassault Aviation and possessing high operational capability in maritime environments, bears similarities to the Rafale aircraft already in India's possession, and stated that the aircraft to be procured under this new agreement will increase joint operational capability between the air and naval forces.
India had previously taken delivery of 36 Rafale fighter jets under an $8.8 billion agreement signed with France in 2016.