Whilst visiting Pakistan, a high-level Qatari delegation has echoed the Pakistani government’s call for strengthening defence ties between the two countries.
The PAF could argue that it needs a high-tech solution to address a capability gap (before the Block-III). However, most off-the-shelf options are expensive
As part of its offset commitments for India’s Rafale acquisition, France is offering to invest over a billion dollars in India’s homegrown fighter engine.