New Delhi: There will be no delay in delivery of 36 Rafale jets to India as the timeline finalised for the supply of the fighter jets will be strictly respected, French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain has said.
India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
"The contractual delivery schedule of the Rafale jets has been perfectly respected till now, and, in fact, a new aircraft was handed over to the Indian Air Force in end-April in France, in keeping with the contract," Lenain told PTI.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the first Rafale jet at an airbase in France on October 8.
"We are helping the Indian Air Force in arranging for the ferry flight of their first four Rafales from France to India as soon as possible. So there's no reason today to speculate that the schedule will not be maintained," the envoy said.
France is reeling under swelling cases of coronavirus and has emerged as one of the worst-hit in Europe.
Over 1,45,000 people were infected by the virus while the death toll stood at 28,330. There were apprehensions that the delivery of Rafale jets could be delayed due to the pandemic.
However, Lenain asserted that the original timeline for delivery of the jets will be adhered to. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons.
24/05/20 PTI/New Indian Express
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September 2016 for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
"The contractual delivery schedule of the Rafale jets has been perfectly respected till now, and, in fact, a new aircraft was handed over to the Indian Air Force in end-April in France, in keeping with the contract," Lenain told PTI.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the first Rafale jet at an airbase in France on October 8.
"We are helping the Indian Air Force in arranging for the ferry flight of their first four Rafales from France to India as soon as possible. So there's no reason today to speculate that the schedule will not be maintained," the envoy said.
France is reeling under swelling cases of coronavirus and has emerged as one of the worst-hit in Europe.
Over 1,45,000 people were infected by the virus while the death toll stood at 28,330. There were apprehensions that the delivery of Rafale jets could be delayed due to the pandemic.
However, Lenain asserted that the original timeline for delivery of the jets will be adhered to. The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons.
24/05/20 PTI/New Indian Express
0 comments:
Post a Comment