India and France are finalising a deal for 26 Rafale Marine jets, for which, France has offered a significant price reduction after tough negotiations.
Ahead of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s planned visit to France, the country submitted its final price offer for the 26 Rafale Marine Jet deal to India. A significant price reduction has been offered after tough negotiations in the proposed contract, news agency ANI quoted defence sources as saying.
India and France are negotiating the deal for buying 26 Rafale Marine jets which will be deployed on the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and different bases.
The two sides also held negotiations last week when a French team was in the national capital for finalising the discussions with India.
The deal is scheduled to be taken up for discussion during the India-France Strategic Dialogue where the Indian NSA is scheduled to meet his French counterparts in Paris beginning Monday (September 30).
The deal is important for the Indian Navy as it is looking at strengthening its maritime strike capability.
India has also approved deviations in the letter of request, which is the tender document equivalent in government-to-government deals, like the integration of the indigenous Uttam radar in the jets for the Indian Navy, ANI reported.
Quoting sources, the report also stated that the integration would have taken a longer time of around eight years along with a high price to be paid to the French side for doing so.
India had also asked France for the integration of indigenous weapons on the plane. This includes the Astra beyond visual range missiles along with the Rudram anti-radiation missiles.
The price for the deal has been based on the agreement over rate if inflation is to be taken into account and would be using the previous deal for 36 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force as the basis, sources told ANI.
