Senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officials pointed out that both F-16s and Mirage 2000-V aircraft are "nuclear capable," meaning that they can be used for dropping nuclear bombs.

The officials however would not link the Mirage deal with Qatar with the US decision to sell F-16s to Pakistan.

Officials said negotiations have been going on for some time on the sale of the aircraft with Doha, which wanted to dispose them of as part of the Qatari air force's modernisation drive.

"These (Mirage 2000-Vs) are multi-role combat aircraft and numbers matter. The more we have the better in terms of capability and capacity," one official said.

The Qatari embassy in New Delhi described as "good news" India's decision, announced by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, the highest decision-making body on security issues on Tuesday night.

The IAF is in the market for 126 multi-role combat aircraft and the US, while announcing its decision to sell F-16s to Pakistan, offered to India licensed production of F-16s and F-18s.

But sources said the deal with Qatar is outside the 126 multi-role combat aircraft that New Delhi has been scouting for with Russian, French and Swedish manufacturers before the US announced its interest.

Emir of Qatar to visit India

The Emir of Qatar, Shekikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, will pay a two-day visit to India from April 14.

This will be the first visit to India in six years by the ruler of the Gulf nation that has historically close ties with this country and is home to over 140,000 Indians who are living and working there.

The visit comes days after the Indian government's decision on Tuesday to buy 12 Mirage 2000-V jet fighters from the Qatari air force.

"A number of agreements are expected to be signed during the visit. We are still working out the details," a Qatari embassy spokesman said.

The IAF has been satisfied with the French-built Mirage-2000s in its fleet, particularly after its signal role during the Kargil conflict with Pakistan in the summer of 1999, when these aircraft provided the firepower to dislodge Pakistan-backed forces perched at strategic heights in the Himalayan region.

The Mirage 2000-Vs that India has now decided to buy from the Qatari air force are the upgraded version of the versatile multi-role fighter jets.

The Qataris had indicated that if India did not want the aircraft, they might be sold to Pakistan and reports said Saudi Arabia had agreed to finance the deal.

In late 2003, New Delhi had informed Doha that it was not in a position to buy the aircraft but at the same time requested that it be sold to any third country other than Pakistan.

Informed sources said the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan had also shown interest in the aircraft.

Sources said the air force had done a joint evaluation of the aircraft with Dassault Aviation, manufacturers of the plane, and found them in operational condition.

Though in use with the Qatari air force since 1998, the planes still have 80 to 85 per cent flying time left, air force officials said, and added, "They are still good for a number of years."