India has asked France to supply Rafale Marine aircraft in addition to previous orders. The Tribune newspaper reported this, citing sources. “India has asked France to provide it with new Rafale Marine aircraft in addition to the order for 114 fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force. That is, the total order is 145 aircraft,” the publication said. In April last year, India and France signed an agreement to buy 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for 630 billion rupees ($7.3 billion). It should be noted that 22 of the 26 aircraft are carrier-based single-seat Rafale-Ms fighters. The other four vehicles are two-seat Rafale-D training aircraft. Previously, the US State Department approved the sale of helicopter equipment to India worth more than 1 billion USD. The relevant document clearly states that the previous Indian authorities intended to purchase communication systems, ammunition, many spare parts and other equipment for helicopters from Washington.
