NEW DELHI — India will only buy 36 Rafale fighter jets as they are "way too expensive", the defense minister said Sunday, dashing lingering French hopes of a larger deal that has been years in the making.
Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar said the previous government's plans to buy 126 of the fighter jets from French firm Dassault were "economically unviable and not required."
"We are not buying the rest. We are only buying the ... 36," Parrikar told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency.
During a visit to France in April, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that New Delhi was ordering 36 of the "ready to fly" planes.
The deal — estimated to be worth €5 billion ($5.5 billion) — followed tortuous years-long negotiations on buying the jets.
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