Ahead of NSA visit, France submits final price offer for 26 Rafale Marine jet deal by StuffsEarth

Rafale jet fighter. File
| Photo Credit: AP

France has submitted the final price offer to India for the 26 Rafale Marine Jet deal just ahead of the scheduled visit of Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to the country.

Defence sources told ANI that the best and final price offer has been submitted to the Indian authorities by the French side for the project and a significant price reduction has been given after tough negotiations in the proposed contract.

India and France are negotiating the deal for buying 26 Rafale Marine jets which are going to be deployed on the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and different bases. The two sides had also held negotiations last week when a French team was in the national capital to finalise discussions with India.

The deal is scheduled to be discussed during the India-France Strategic Dialogue where the Indian NSA is scheduled to meet their French counterparts tomorrow in Paris. This deal is important for the Indian Navy as it looks to strengthen 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.

Sources said that the integration would have taken a longer time – around eight years – with a high price to be paid to the French side for doing so.

India even 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.

Sources added that the price for the deal has been based on agreements over rate. Its inflation would be considered, and they would be using the previous deal for 36 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force as the basis.

Some of the Indian Air Force requirements have also been incorporated in the naval deal which will include around 40 drop tanks and a small amount of workstations for the planes.

The Indian side is also going to get more long-range air-to-air Meteor missiles and the anti-ship weaponry in this project is planned to be concluded before the end of this financial year.