After the serious diplomatic efforts on the US’ part-in the teeth of European objections-to get India out of the nuclear sanctions rut at the NSG, this decision has the potential to hurt enhanced defence cooperation between the two countries. Deals of this size should be used to secure strategic goals as well as getting good fighting platforms. Buying from the French and other European nations, who have little geopolitical traction in South Asia, is questionable from the strategic point of view.