British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday that he will do “everything I can” to persuade India to change its decision to select the French Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon for exclusive talks on the multi-billion dollar fighter aircraft deal.
The move to shelve the bid by Eurofighter Typhoon, a joint British, Italian and pan-European project, has been received badly in Britain, where the Rafale was seen as trailing in the race for the $12 billion order.
The media described India’s move as a blow to Cameron, who lobbied for the Eurofighter during his visit to New Delhi in 2010. It also prompted demands to cut Britain’s £280 million-a-year aid to India, but Cameron told parliament that there would be no job losses. Asked about the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions, Cameron told parliament the Typhoon was a “superb aircraft, far better than Rafale.”
“The decision is obviously disappointing but it is about who the Indians have assessed as making the lowest bid,” he said.