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French aircraft package for India – attractive or not?

27th January 2021 - 00:27 GMT | by Neelam Mathews in Delhi

RSS

France is attempting to tease India into buying aircraft and helicopters, but such a package deal may not be the ideal solution for Delhi.

France is upping the ante to take forward defence cooperation with India.

At the annual strategic dialogue in Delhi on 7 January, Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to President Macron, proposed a second tranche of 36 Rafale fighters, six leased A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTT) and transfer of the AS565 Panther assembly line to India.

A Ministry of External Affairs statement said the two sides held discussions on ‘counterterrorism, cybersecurity, defence cooperation, maritime security, regional and global issues and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region’.

However, there is scepticism on the reduced price of €5 billion ($6.04 billion) quoted by French media

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