Kazakhstan denies news on plans to purchase Rafale fighter jets

Yerzhan Nildibayev, the deputy commander-in-chief of Kazakhstan's Air Defence Forces for armament, stated that the military has no plans to purchase French Rafale fighter jets, Interfax reports.

When asked by journalists about possible deliveries of Rafale fighters developed by the French airline Dassault Aviation to Kazakhstan, he said, "No negotiations have been held, and we have no such plans."

He added that while the Rafale is a good aircraft, it is quite expensive. Therefore, they have decided to stick with the Su-30SM aircraft, considering the price-quality issue.