The American and the Russian contenders have lost the battle for India's biggest ever military contract, as the competition now remains between only two European manufacturers vying to clinch the around $10 billion order to supply 126 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF).Top government sources revealed that there were only two legendary European fighters left in the fray to grab the mother of all Indian defence deals -- the Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Rafale.The global competition for the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) narrowed down to just two after the government knocked out the other contenders like the iconic American Lockheed-Martin F-16 Super Viper, American Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Swedish Saab Gripen IN and the Russian MiG-35.However, nothing could be considered over until a contract is finally signed, which still seems to be a while away. But with Indian defence deals, nothing is over until it is signed.The government's decision is likely to have already made the Americans furious. The defence ministry's decision to dispense with the American warplanes would not be easy to swallow. US campaign teams are likely to up the pressure in every way possible.For the Russian MiG-35, elimination had been a foregone conclusion for over a year now. For the Gripen, the elimination would come as a huge disappointment considering the visibility its campaign especially in recent months.Sources said the Eurofighter and the Rafale were selected based on their performance in the field trials and the larger promise that these two fighters were modern enough to meet India's requirements for 40 years or more.Commenting on the development, retired Air Marshal P.S. Ahluwalia said that no one could doubt the professionalism of the IAF. He stressed there was no question of any political pressure on the forces and if the IAF has selected any aircraft then it has to be purely on merit.