Rafale deal: India may get jets sooner than 36 months

Pune: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday hinted at the early arrival of the Rafale fighter jets from France to India.

“As per the terms of the deal, it is 36 months, but it may come earlier slightly,” Parrikar told the media at the sidelines of Swachhta rally.

India on September 23 inked a deal for direct acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

French Defence Minister Yves Le Drian finalised the deal, which will cost India Euros 7.8 billion along with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar.

The negotiations to buy the Rafale fighter jets came through on September 21.

The 'vanila price' (just of the aircraft alone) will cost about 91 million Euros each for a single seater and about 94 million Euros for a two seater trainer aircraft.

The development came after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) discussed the deal and gave the green signal to go ahead with its signing to give a crucial boost to the Indian Air Force.

Parrikar also said that a 12-member committee to suggest structural changes in the military on cutting down flab and reducing revenue (maintenance) expenditure will soon submit its report. The committee is headed by Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar.

In June, Parrikar had stated that the number of the fighter jets were "on path of coming to conclusion".

Both India and France had hoped to wrap up the strategic order during French President Francois Hollande's visit for the Republic Day celebrations in January this year, but the bargaining over the price stalled the process.