Ahead of NSA visit, France submits final price offer for 26 Rafale Marine jet deal

France submits final price offer for 26 Rafale Marine jets to India ahead of NSA visit, strengthening Indian Navy capabilities.

France has submitted the final price offer to India for the 26 Rafale Marine Jet deal just ahead of the scheduled visit of Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to the country.

Defence sources told ANI that the best and final price offer has been submitted to the Indian authorities by the French side for the project and a significant price reduction has been given after tough negotiations in the proposed contract.

India and France are negotiating the deal for buying 26 Rafale Marine jets which are going to be deployed on the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and different bases. The two sides had also held negotiations last week when a French team was in the national capital to finalise discussions with India.

The deal is scheduled to be discussed during the India-France Strategic Dialogue where the Indian NSA is scheduled to meet their French counterparts tomorrow in Paris. This deal is important for the Indian Navy as it looks to strengthen its maritime strike capability.

India has also approved deviations in the letter of request, which is the tender document equivalent in Government-to-Government deals, like the integration of the indigenous Uttam radar in the jets for the Indian Navy.

Sources said that the integration would have taken a longer time – around eight years – with a high price to be paid to the French side for doing so.

India even asked France for the integration of indigenous weapons on the plane. This includes the Astra beyond visual range missiles along with the Rudram anti-radiation missiles.