French Minister says probe underway on attempted break-in at IAF Rafale office

Jean Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, on Monday said investigation is underway in the attempted break-in at the Indian Air Force Rafale project management team office in Paris last month.

"Investigation is going on. Indian authorities would be updated when new details would be provided to us," Lemoyne told ANI.

Unidentified persons broke into India's Rafale office in Paris last month in a possible espionage attempt to steal data related to the aircraft critical to India's national security plans.

The Rafale project team, headed by a Group Captain-rank officer, who looks after issues related to the 36 Rafale combat aircraft, including the production timelines and training of Indian personnel who have to be trained for maintenance and flying operations of the plane, which India is acquiring.

The French Minister also said India will get its first Rafale fighter jet by September this year.

"The first Rafale jets will land in India in September and it will be a very tough signal of the effectiveness of this cooperation. Thirty-six Rafale (jets) will be delivered one by one. It's very good news for the cooperation between France and India," he added.