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1st LD Writethru: India to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France: Modi

Xinhua, April 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

India will buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Friday on his first day of visit in France.

"I have asked the President (Francois Hollande) to supply 36 Rafale," said Modi during a joint press conference, adding that the terms and conditions are not finalized yet.

He said officials from both countries will discuss these issues in more details and continue negotiation.

The contract could be worth 4 billion euros (4.24 billion U.S. dollars), with the price of a Rafale is estimated at 110 million euros without arms.

In 2012, French company Dassault Aviation entered into exclusive negotiations with India to supply 126 fighters.

French President Francois Hollande confirmed in February the sale of 24 Rafale fighter jets and related military equipments to Egypt, the first overseas contract of the Dassault Aviation-built planes.

The Rafale, manufactured by French company Dassault Aviation, is a twin-engine delta-wing multi-role jet fighter. Since it was introduced in 2000, it only serves in the French navy.

Due to its high price, the French aircraft faces competition from Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and Gripen NG from Sweden's Saab. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollars) Enditem