India will purchase half of the initially planned number of French Rafale fighter jets, a source in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs told Sputnik on Friday.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik) – In 2012, India announced plans to buy 126 Rafale jets from French company Dassault Aviation. According to the source at the ministry, Indian authorities have altered that original announcement, stating now they will purchase around 60.
Earlier in the day, France’s Le Monde newspaper reported that India was aiming to buy 63 Rafale jets for $7.7 billion.
The Rafale deal is expected to be discussed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande during Modi’s three-day visit to France that started on Thursday.
Previously, media reports suggested that India might cancel the deal with France altogether and consider Russian or British fighter jets instead.
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