India, France Ink Deal To Procure 26 Rafale Fighter Jets Naval Variants For Rs 64,000 Cr

India and France on Monday signed an intergovernmental agreement to buy 26 naval variants of Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 64,000 crore for the Indian Navy. 

The deal was signed at a virtual event with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in his presence, reported PTI. 

India is procuring the jets from French defence major Dassault Aviation for deployment on board aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. 

The signing of the mega deal comes three weeks after the procurement was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Under the terms of the reference, the delivery of the jets will have to start around five years after the signing of the contract. 

The initial approval for the mega acquisition wa accorded by the defence ministry in July 2023 following a series of deliberations and evaluation tests of the platform.

Under the deal, the Indian Navy will also get associated ancillary equipment which would include weapon systems and spares from Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale (Marine) jets.

 

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