India says signs deal with France for 26 Rafale fighter jets
India has signed a contract to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets from France, New Delhi's defence ministry said Monday, with the multi-billion-dollar deal to include both single and twin-seat planes.
When delivered, the jets would join 36 French-made Rafale fighters already acquired by New Delhi as part of its efforts to rapidly modernise its military hardware.
"The governments of India and France have signed an inter-governmental agreement for the procurement of 26 Rafale Aircraft," the defence ministry said in a statement.
The jets made by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation are expected to operate from Indian-made aircraft carriers, replacing the Russian MiG-29K jets.
"It includes training, simulator, associated equipment, weapons and performance-based logistics" as well as 22 single-seater and four twin-seater jets, said India's defence ministry.
"It also includes additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF)."
The Indian government announced its intention to procure 26 Rafales in 2023, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France for the Bastille Day celebrations.
Despite historical ties with Russia as its key supplier for military equipment, India has diversified in recent years with key purchases including from France as well as from the United States and Israel.
Dassault said that the jets will provide India with "stateof-the-art capabilities" and an "active role in guaranteeing national sovereignty and consolidating India's role as a major international player".
India's navy is the first user outside France of the Rafale Marine jet, the company said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Modi opens Kashmir rail link
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to Kashmir yesterday since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan, opening a strategic railway line to the region he called 'the crown jewel of India'. Modi launched a string of projects worth billions of dollars for the northern territory. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan fought a four-day conflict last month, their worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. 'Pakistan will never forget... its shameful loss,' the premier told crowds a month since India launched strikes on its neighbour after an attack on tourists in Kashmir. 'Friends, today's event is a grand festival of India's unity and firm resolve,' Modi said after striding across the soaring bridge to formally launch it for rail traffic. 'This is a symbol and celebration of rising India,' he said of the Chenab Bridge which connects two mountains. The Chenab span is the 'world's highest railway arch bridge', sitting 359 metres (1,117 feet) above a river. While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China. Modi called it 'an extraordinary feat of architecture' that 'will improve connectivity' by providing the first rail link from the Indian plains up to mountainous Kashmir. With 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, the new railway runs for 272 kilometres (169 miles) and connects Udhampur, Srinagar and Baramulla. It is expected to halve the travel time between the town of Katra in the Hindu-majority Jammu region and Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir, to around three hours. The new route will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air.
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Daily Tribune
India's central bank cuts rates more than expected to boost growth
India India's central bank cut interest rates more than expected yesterday, citing muted inflation and a need to kickstart economic growth as the impact of US tariffs weighed on the country's outlook. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lowered the benchmark repo rate, the level at which it lends to commercial banks, by 50 basis points to 5.5%. A majority of analysts had expected 25-basis-point reduction. The cut was its third in a row and comes a week after government data showed India's economy expanded at its slowest pace for four years in the fiscal year that ended in March. And while the January-March quarter showed signs of a rebound, with forecast-topping 7.4% year-on-year growth, analysts said US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs posed risks to the outlook. Easing price concerns have also allowed the RBI to concentrate on growth, with retail inflation dropping to a near sixyear-low of 3.16% in April. Bank governor Sanjay Malhotra said India's growth remained 'lower than our aspirations' in a 'challenging global environment' and that it was necessary to continue stimulating domestic consumption and investment. 'This changed growth inflation dynamics calls for not only continuing with the policy easing, but also frontloading the rate cuts to support growth,' Malhotra said. He added that the monetary policy committee had changed its stance from 'accommodative' to 'neutral', which implies a rate cut is not guaranteed at its next review meeting. The central bank also threw in a liquidity-boosting measure by cutting the cash reserve ratio, the proportion of deposits that banks must set aside with the RBI, by 100 basis points to 3%. The RBI cut rates for the first time in nearly five years in February and followed up with another reduction in April. The Indian government has forecast above-average monsoon rains, which observers say should help growth, as higher agricultural output will aid the rural economy and keep vegetable prices stable. But Trump's protectionist policies could add to growth pressures. While New Delhi is not a manufacturing powerhouse, experts believe that US tariffs will hurt billions of dollars of Indian exports across different sectors including gems and jewellery, electronics and seafood. India is hammering out the first tranche of a trade deal with Washington and negotiators have made several trips over the past three months. Local media reports say that while the White House is pushing for India to drop levies on a range of products, including agricultural produce and automobiles, New Delhi is seeking greater access for labour-intensive exports such as textiles and footwear.
Gulf Insider
4 days ago
- Gulf Insider
US Warns Britain & France Not To Recognize Palestinian State
The US has warned Britain and France against recognizing a Palestinian state at a UN conference later this month, Middle East Eye can reveal. France and Saudi Arabia are set to co-host a major UN conference on the two-state solution beginning on June 17 in New York. France is reportedly gearing up to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at the conference. MEE understands that France has been lobbying Britain to do so as well. French officials believe the British government is onboard with the plan, according to French media. But Washington privately begun to warn Britain and France against unilaterally recognizing Palestine, sources with knowledge of the matter in the British Foreign Office told MEE. At the same time Arab states are urging them to proceed with the move, sources said. In late May, UN member states held consultations in preparation for the conference during which the Arab Group urged states to recognize Palestinian statehood. The Arab Group said they would measure the success of the conference by whether significant states recognize Palestine, Foreign Office sources added. Click here to read more… Source Zero Hedge
