France: India Agrees to Buy 36 Rafale Fighter Jets
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Version 0 of 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India announced Friday during a state visit to France that his military would buy 36 French fighter jets as it seeks to modernize its air force, even as the two countries continue to work on a stalled larger deal. The sale, which is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, is the second to a foreign country for the French manufacturer of the Rafale jets, Dassault Aviation. In February, Egypt purchased 24. A French Defense Ministry official said that the latest deal, which will send completed jets to India, was not part of the negotiations for a separate Indian order for 126 Rafale jets that have been underway since 2012. Those talks remain stalled over questions about the joint development of the jets, some of which would be built in India, and the transfer of technologies. |