India on Thursday approved in principle the purchase of 26 French marine Rafale jets and three Scorpene-class submarines, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be guest of honour at the Bastille Day parade in Paris.
New Delhi‘s Defence Acquisition Council approved proposals for the purchases, the defence ministry said in a statement, but it added the price and other terms still had to be negotiated with the French government.
The discussions over the long-awaited deals would take into account “all relevant aspects, including comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries”, the statement said.
The naval version of Dassault’s Rafale jets are intended for India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, which was commissioned last year.
India was already purchasing six Scorpene submarines and the statement said the three additional vessels would be built “with higher indigenous content” by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders near Mumbai, creating “significant employment opportunities in the domestic sector”.
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Source: https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20230713-india-gives-initial-approval-for-purchase-of-french-fighter-jets-and-submarines
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