Break-in Attempt at Indian Air Force's Rafale Fighter Jet Facility in Paris

The $8.7 billion Rafale fighter jet contract, signed in 2016 between India and France, has been subject to controversy from the outset, due to it being a costlier purchase, as well as allegedly arbitrary decisions taken by the Indian government.

New Delhi (Sputnik): A break-in attempt has been made by a group of individuals at a Rafale fighter jet facility in Paris, where the Indian Air Force (IAF) team has been looking after the development of India-specific warplanes, an Indian news agency reported on Wednesday.

The break-in attempt was made on Sunday night, four months ahead of the first Rafale fighter delivery to the Indian Air Force (IAF), in September 2019.

"Break-in attempt was conducted by a group of unidentified individuals at the Project Management Team of Rafale in Paris. The Defence Ministry has been briefed about the incident by the IAF", the Indian news agency ANI reported, citing sources as saying.

READ MORE: Ex-IAF Chief: Rafales Could Have Downed Half of Pakistan's Jets in Dogfight

Side-stepping the criticism made by opposition parties, the Indian government has attributed 13 India Specific Enhancement (ISE) capabilities as being behind the higher price, in comparison to a scrapped procurement process, in which India had planned to purchase 126 Rafale fighter jets.