Rafale Warplanes

The United Arab Emirates ordered 80 Rafale fighter jets on Friday, the largest order ever for the warplane, a multi-billion dollar arms contract that deepens economic and political ties with France.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing allegations his administration acted improperly on a multi-billion dollar warplane contract with France, keeping alive a controversial issue that could dent the ruling party's reputation as it heads to elections next year.

India today signed a deal to buy 36 high-tech Rafale fighters from France.

India is seeking to boost arms exports 20- fold in a decade to $3 billion, a push that if successful would transform one of the world's biggest importers into a major seller of defense equipment.

Nine months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi drastically scaled down the world's biggest fighter jet deal in a bid to quickly replenish India's aging air force with French warplanes, the two sides still haven't agreed on a price or delivery date.

With just days to go before French President Francois Hollande arrives in India, a crucial deal for Delhi to buy 36 French-built Rafale warplanes has not yet been decided.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian began a two day visit to Cairo today, just days after France delivered the first batch of 24 Rafale warplanes Egypt bought in a multi-billion-euro deal.

French President Francois Hollande arrived in Qatar today to oversee the signing of a multi-billion-euro deal to sell 24 Rafale fighter jets to the gas-rich emirate.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said India's decision to buy 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets off the shelf would infuse "minimum oxygen" into the Air Force, battling with an ageing warplane fleet.

India's air force risks a major capability gap opening up with China and Pakistan without new western warplanes or if local defence contractors can't produce what the military needs in a timely manner.

Under the plan, Dassault Aviation would help Reliance to establish the factory similar to its production facilities in France where the aircraft is produced, they said.

France expects to make its first deliveries of Rafale warplanes to India by 2016 or 2017, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was quoted as saying by financial daily Les Echos.

The United Arab Emirates ordered 80 Rafale fighter jets on Friday, the largest order ever for the warplane, a multi-billion dollar arms contract that deepens economic and political ties with France.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing allegations his administration acted improperly on a multi-billion dollar warplane contract with France, keeping alive a controversial issue that could dent the ruling party's reputation as it heads to elections next year.

India today signed a deal to buy 36 high-tech Rafale fighters from France.

India is seeking to boost arms exports 20- fold in a decade to $3 billion, a push that if successful would transform one of the world's biggest importers into a major seller of defense equipment.

Nine months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi drastically scaled down the world's biggest fighter jet deal in a bid to quickly replenish India's aging air force with French warplanes, the two sides still haven't agreed on a price or delivery date.

With just days to go before French President Francois Hollande arrives in India, a crucial deal for Delhi to buy 36 French-built Rafale warplanes has not yet been decided.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian began a two day visit to Cairo today, just days after France delivered the first batch of 24 Rafale warplanes Egypt bought in a multi-billion-euro deal.

French President Francois Hollande arrived in Qatar today to oversee the signing of a multi-billion-euro deal to sell 24 Rafale fighter jets to the gas-rich emirate.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said India's decision to buy 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets off the shelf would infuse "minimum oxygen" into the Air Force, battling with an ageing warplane fleet.

India's air force risks a major capability gap opening up with China and Pakistan without new western warplanes or if local defence contractors can't produce what the military needs in a timely manner.

Under the plan, Dassault Aviation would help Reliance to establish the factory similar to its production facilities in France where the aircraft is produced, they said.

France expects to make its first deliveries of Rafale warplanes to India by 2016 or 2017, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was quoted as saying by financial daily Les Echos.