Defence News: Ahead of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's Paris visit, France has submitted its final price offer to India for selling 26 Rafale Marine jets. Now, the Defence Ministry of India will have to take the final call on the given bid. News agency ANI reported citing defence sources, that France has submitted the best price offer for the project and a significant price reduction has been given after tough negotiations in the proposed contract.


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India and France are in talks to finalize a deal for the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine jets, intended for deployment on the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and at various other bases. Negotiations continued last week during a visit by a French delegation to New Delhi for further discussions with Indian officials. The agreement is set to be discussed at the upcoming India-France Strategic Dialogue, where the Indian National Security Advisor will meet with his French counterparts in Paris starting tomorrow.


The deal is important for the Indian Navy given the threats from Pakistan and China. The navy has been exploring options 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.


According to the report, integrating these systems would have taken approximately eight years and incurred a significant cost to India, payable to the French side for the work. India had also requested France to integrate indigenous weapon systems onto the Rafale jets, including the Astra beyond-visual-range missiles and Rudram anti-radiation missiles.


The sources added that the price for the deal had been based on the agreement over rate inflation to be taken into account and would be using the previous deal for 36 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force as the basis. Some of the Indian Air Force requirements have also been incorporated in the naval deal which will include around 40 drop tanks and a small number of workstations for the planes.


The Indian side is also going to get more long-range air-to-air Meteor missiles and the anti-ship weaponry in this project is planned to be concluded before the end of this financial year.