Media: India and France reach agreement on terms for procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets
Sputnik News, New Delhi - According to Indian media ThePrint, New Delhi and Paris have reached an agreement on the terms for the Indian Air Force's procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets, with the formal contract expected to be signed by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
The report states: "The contract is valued at about 3.25 trillion rupees (35.9 billion US dollars), which includes the purchase of 18 aircraft, while the remaining aircraft will be produced in India, with 60% of the components being indigenous."
If the contract is signed in early 2027, the first 18 operational aircraft are expected to be delivered starting in 2030.
In the second half of 2025, the Indian Air Force formally proposed the procurement of Rafale fighter jets, followed by discussions at the defense ministry and government levels.
According to the report, Dassault Aviation is establishing a technical maintenance and repair company in India and has committed to making India a production and technical maintenance center for Rafale fighter jets, in addition to its existing French enterprises.
After the execution of the contract, India will become the largest operator of Rafale fighter jets outside of France. In 2016, New Delhi purchased 36 Rafale fighter jets, and last year it ordered 26 Rafale naval variant aircraft for its navy.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854433791218688/
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