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| Dassault Rafale (File Photo) |
By Trefor Moss
The Indian Air Force has opted for Dassault’s Rafale fighter jet to fulfill its multi-billion dollar contract. It’s a major blow to the Eurofighter.
It’s taken nearly a decade to get there, but India this week confirmed that it has selected the Dassault Rafale to fulfill its medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) requirement. For the beaten finalist, the Eurofighter Typhoon, co-built by Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., second is as good as nowhere (although until contracts are formally signed, Eurofighter’s cause isn’t entirely lost).
India will now acquire 126 Dassault aircraft, though a fleet of around 190 Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafales could eventually be assembled. The ultimate value of the deal could be two to three times higher than the initial $10 billion to $11 billion outlay once 30 to 40 years of through-life support, and extra planes, are factored in.
Read the full story at The Diplomat