India approves purchase of 114 French Rafale jets

NEW DELHI: Despite its humiliating defeat by Pakistan, India, which is still war-mad, is preparing to buy more than 100 French-made Rafale fighter jets.

According to a Bloomberg report, India has approved the purchase of 114 French-made Rafale fighter jets and their joint production plan.

Senior Indian officials told Bloomberg on condition of anonymity that India’s Defense Procurement Board has cleared the proposal to buy Rafale aircraft from French defense company Dassault Aviation.

The Indian Ministry of Defense and the Air Force did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.

It may be recalled that India had canceled a deal to buy 126 Rafale aircraft from France in 2015 due to years of negotiations and disagreements over the quality of the aircraft to be manufactured in New Delhi.

According to Indian media reports, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit India next month.

Although Russia is still India’s largest arms supplier, New Delhi has reduced its purchases of military equipment from Moscow in the past few years.

There are still more steps to be taken before the final deal for Rafale is signed and deliveries begin, including price negotiations and final approval from the cabinet.

According to a Bloomberg News report, India already has 36 Rafale aircraft and in April this year signed a deal to buy 26 naval versions of the fighter jet.

All but a few of the 114 aircraft will be manufactured in India in collaboration with a French defense company, which will also transfer technology to Indian partners.