India sends formal request to France for 114 Rafale jets in ₹3.25 lakh crore deal

India has formally issued a Letter of Request (LoR) to France for the proposed government-to-government acquisition of 114 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force, a deal estimated to be worth around ₹3.25 lakh crore, reports ANI.Citing Defence Ministry sources, ANI reported that the ministry’s Acquisition Wing sent the request to the French government last week.

Under the proposal, 94 of the 114 Rafale jets are expected to be manufactured in India by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation in partnership with an Indian firm.
The French government is expected to respond within the next two to three months, after which negotiations are likely to continue.The move comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to France in mid-June, where the Rafale programme is likely to feature in discussions with the French leadership.

The proposed acquisition is intended to address the Indian Air Force’s fighter squadron shortage and strengthen its combat capabilities through the induction of additional 4.5-generation Rafale aircraft.

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