Vivek Raghuvanshi
NEW DELHI — India and France move closer to concluding a Rafale fighter-jet deal, estimated at around $9 billion, as the two countries have agreed to sign an inter-governmental agreement (IGA), which was one of the obstacles towards an eventual sale.
Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar told parliament Aug. 2 in a written reply that an agreement has been reached to sign the IGA.
"Both sides also agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for supply of the aircraft. A negotiating team has been constituted to negotiate the terms and conditions of the procurement of 36 Rafale jets and recommend a draft agreement," the defense ministry said in a statement, quoting Parrikar.
In an earlier reply to the Indian parliament, on July 19, Parrikar had said "negotiations are underway and IGA and offset contract are yet to be finalized."
The Indian defense minister had then said then that the 36 aircraft being procured will have advanced features like Advanced Electronically Scanned Array radar, mid-air refueling and advanced electronic-warfare equipment as part of its design.
Read the full story at DefenseNews