Ending speculation and giving a definitive shape to the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets, India and France signed the Inter-Government Agreement (IGA) which will form the basis for the commercial deal.
The pact was signed by the Defence Ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Hollande.
The cost per aircraft is over Euro 100 million or about Rs. 800 crore along with the weapons package and efforts are on to reduce the price by 20 per cent.
Another issue not mentioned is the delivery timelines. France has conveyed to India that with the level of customisation sought by the Indian Air Force, the aircraft would have to be built from scratch, resulting in longer timelines.
About Rafale
Rafale is a twin-jet combat aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of short and long-range missions, including ground and sea attacks, reconnaissance, high-accuracy strikes and nuclear strike deterrence.
The aircraft were developed for the French Air Force and Navy. France's Air Force and Navy ordered 180 (132 for the air force and 48 for the navy), 100 aircraft had been delivered by the end of 2010.
The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006. Ten aircraft are operational on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
Current Affairs: 25th January, 2016 Current Affairs Round up December, 2015.
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