 |
| Dassault Rafale MMRCA Fighter (File Photo) |
By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI
NEW DELHI — France’s defense minister has told his Indian counterpart that Paris wants to see an early signing of the $11 billion contract to supply India with 126 Dassault Rafales, and that delays could add uncertainty to the program, spilling over into early 2014 elections, according to a diplomat in the French Embassy.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian met with his counterpart, A.K. Antony, this week and said that early signing of the Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program is important for the future of Dassault and also for defense ties between the two nations.
India bestowed preferred bidder status upon the French fighter jet last year.
Le Drian also discussed with Antony the fate of the long pending co-development of the $6 billion Maitri short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) project. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and MBDA of France propose to develop the SRSAM.
Read the full story at DefenseNews