A FORCE Report

Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh on 8 October 2019 received the first Rafale fighter jet from France, at a ceremony held at Dassault Aviation facility in Merignac, southwestern France. The defence minister called it a historic moment. He said the deal will boost strategic ties between India and France. He also met the French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and held a wide range of deliberations on the defence strategic ties between the two nations. The first batch of Rafale jets will arrive in India by May 2020.

Rajnath Singh addressing the Rafale handover ceremony

India and France had in September 2016 signed a Rs 56,000 crore Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for 36 Rafale multi-role fighter jets in fly-away condition, after