Mumbai: Thirty Rafale Fighter Jets produced by French company Dassault Aviation has been sent to India so far and the remaining six will be submitted in April 2022 as part of the inter-government agreement signed five years ago, the French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said on Thursday.
He said it was a matter of pride for France that despite the Covid-19 pandemic which imposes the factory to be closed for weeks, he can send airplanes on time.
“In France, the team has worked with extra shifts.
They have worked night and weekends sometimes to be able to fulfill commitment.
That is what is trusted.
On this day, 29 (jets) have been transported to India and 30.
has been sent to India.
We are entirely timely and we will reach the target of having all 36 delivered in April next year, “Lenain said quoted by PTI Newsagency.
The envoy said India and France had worked together for decades in the defense.
The combat jet was first handed over to the Indian Air Force in France and they then flew to India.
The first batch of five Jet Rafale arrived in India on July 29 last year.
In 2016, India and France signed an agreement between governments where Paris would provide 36 Rafale Fighter Jets to New Delhi.
The agreement of the RS 58,000 Crore invited criticism from the opposition, especially the Congress that accused financial irregularities while buying a combat jet.
The center has repeatedly denied any financial irregularity in the purchase of multi-role fighter aircraft.
The French investigation portal Mediapart, in a new revelation, has accused a fake invoice used that allows Dassault Aviation to pay at least 7.5 million euros in the secret commission to an intermediary to help him secure the Rafe deal with India.
When asked about Wahyu recently by Mediapart, France’s envoy declined to comment.
Lenain spoke during his visit to the French air defense destroyer ‘Chevalier Paul’, who arrived in Mumbai on Thursday.
Chevalier Paul, the destroyer of the horizon class air defense, is currently deployed in the Indian Ocean as part of the presence of the French permanent military in the region.
Defense is an important pillar of Indian-France and the two countries have worked together for decades now, Lenain said.
“That (calling the boat to Mumbai) is a good symbol of our shared commitment to ensure security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.