India on Friday sealed a crucial defense deal to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at an estimated cost of $8.7 billion (7.8 billion Euros). This is India's first major acquisition of combat planes in two decades, and it is expected to give a huge boost to the country's air force capabilities.

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The deal was sealed after Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar met his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in New Delhi, ending almost three years of negotiation that saw both countries wrangling over terms and conditions.

The first Rafale fighter jet is expected to be delivered to India in 2019, while rest of them will be delivered within six years, according to Reuters. New Delhi had initially placed an order for 126 Rafales with Dassault defense company but later settled for 36 jets as series of talks with the company collapsed.    

Dassault said in a statement that it welcomes the Friday's contract signing, while Parrikar said the deal would "significantly improve India's strike and defense capabilities."

Concerns over the widening gap in India's air force capabilities has led to seen intense debt among Indian military experts. Experts claim that the existing deficiency makes Indian air force too vulnerable to compete against China and Pakistan's state-of-the-art planes.

India is embroiled in a festering border dispute with both China and Pakistan. In past, India has engaged in war with both neighbors to resolve the border disputes.

The multi-billion dollar Rafale deal comes amid simmering tension between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir dispute. China has backed Pakistan's stance on the Kashmir issue after India waged a diplomatic battle to isolate Pakistan on the international stage.    

A top Chinese diplomat on Friday said that China would unequivocally support Pakistan in the wake of any foreign aggression.   

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