India to buy French fighter jets in $11b deal

The deal will increase the might of India’s air force and is likely to affect the balance in the region.India has become the worlds biggest arms importer as an economic boom has allowed it to push modernization of its military, and major arms manufacturers are wooing the country as it replaces its obsolete Soviet-era weapons and buys new equipment.Dassault Aviation said it was honored to extend cooperation with India, which has a fleet of its older Mirage jets, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed Indias decision.Dassault snapped up the €8.4 billion deal with the lower bid in a two-way competition against the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, said an Indian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters about the sensitive defense deal.Indias air force has around 700 fighter aircraft and is exceeded in size by the United States, Russia and China.Growing worries about Chinas fast-expanding military and the decades-old unfounded mistrust of Pakistan have fueled Indias impetus to add heft to its defense forces.India needs to bolster its fighting capabilities, particularly with long-range strike aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, a defense analyst in New Delhi.Indias concern is not just Pakistan, but the longer term threat posed by an aggressive China, Bedi said.The Indian agreement is the first foreign deal for Dassaults Rafale fighter jets. Planes from Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin of the United States and from Russian and Swedish makers were dropped from consideration earlier for technical reasons.Eighteen fighter aircraft will be delivered in fly away condition within three years and the remaining 108 are to be built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. through technology transfers.--AP