The Dassault Rafale multi-role fighter jet that India recently ordered from France has been a major weapon for the French Navy and Air Force but it did not attract foreign buyers' attention until it proved its mettle in airstrikes in Libya, Mali and Iraq, writes China's state newswire Xinhua.
India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, announced on April 10 that the country wants to buy 36 Rafale fighters as soon as possible to bolster its air power. The aircraft, which has entered service with the in French Navy in 2004 and the French Air Force in 2006, can function in air defense, reconnaissance, air-to-ground and air-to-sea attack roles and also conduct nuclear strikes.
New Delhi has been in talks with France since 2012 to buy 126 Rafale fighters but a sticking point was the the Indian government's wish for 108 of the aircraft to be built in India. The country now has a pressing need for the fighter since half of its existing fleet will be decomissioned by 2024.
Read the full story at Want China Times