New Delhi: Defence Minister of France Florence Parly on Friday said that “France was ready to provide additional Rafale fighter jets to India if it wanted. The use of the same aircraft by the two strategic partners was a reflection of ‘strength’ in their ties,”
Parly further added that France was fully committed to supporting the ‘Make in India’ initiative and also of integrating Indian manufacturers into its global supply chains.
On the use of Rafale in the India Air Force, Parly expressed happiness and said “I am very happy that the Indian Air Force is satisfied with its Rafale and we are very proud that despite covid-19, the 36 aircraft will be delivered on time according to the contract, it is a real achievement,”
“Using the same aircraft is a real asset and strength. I am sure that there is room for new developments. We are ready to answer any additional needs of request that could be made by India,” she said.
The Rafale jets are capable of carrying a range of weapons — from the European missile maker MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile to the Scalp cruise missile.
India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around ₹59,000 crores. The first batch of five Rafale jets, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, arrived in India in July last year.
Later, the French defense minister met her Indian host Rajnath Singh for talks that focused on strengthening bilateral defense and security cooperation.
(Vinayak)
