Rafale fighter jets deal: Why sovereign guarantee was sought by India

Despite resistance from French negotiators the law ministry insisted on sovereign guarantees. Eventually, the decision was left to the Cabinet Committee on Security

The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) negotiators for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from French vendor Dassault during September 2-16 were unable to obtain “sovereign guarantees” from Paris that would have bound the French government to always support the deal.

Instead, as Attorney General K K Venugopal admitted before the Supreme Court on November 14, New Delhi contented itself with a letter of comfort from the French Prime Minister (PM). 

A letter of comfort amounts to a non-binding intention to support the contract. It is not a legally enforceable contract, like a sovereign guarantee.

This shortcoming was also flagged