New Delhi, Feb. 12 -- The defence ministry on Thursday cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets under a government-to-government framework from France, nearly 13 years after a similar acquisition was almost firmed up. In total, capital acquisition of military hardware worth Rs 3.60 lakh crore was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, to enhance the combat readiness of the defence forces.
The approval for procurement of the Rafale jets came just four days ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India.
However, a formal contract to seal the deal is unlikely before end of the year as the defence ministry will now have to carry out negotiations with...