Rafale given the boot

[avatar]

Merci!

looks like the French are out of this one.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/French-fighter-jet-out-of-race-for-biggest-IAF-deal/articleshow/4412257.cms

 

[GTX]

Interesting. I'm curious to see how India goes with this - will they stick with Russian (MiG-29) or go with American as the recent trend seems to be (I'd expect Super Hornet to trounce F-16 though) or will the European's slip in (I expect the Typhoon would beat Gripen though). It may come down to industrial offset offerings - though I would have thought the French would have offered a very attractive package here.

Regards,

Greg

 

[avatar]

Offsets are certainly a factor . But there is always the multi-role issue , this competition is actually the multi-role medium combat .. i.e MMRCA competition. also a lot will depend on who is willing to give what in terms of TOT.

A former ACM just before retirement had remarked that it is what goes into an aircraft that they are more concerned with rather than what it can do aerodynamically.

 

[GTX]

Yes, I was aware that it was for the MMRCA competition. Re multi-role capability, I understood the Rafale to be quite good (at least equal to its competitors) in this respect - remembering that it has made it to the 'final round' for both the earlier South Korean and Singaporean contests. I would also imagine that Dassault/France would be quite enthusiastic (desperate seemed like too strong a word :) to get an export order and thus would have made an extremely attractive offer in terms of offset/technology transfer.

I wonder if the Rafale's no-show at AeroIndia 2009 was because they already knew of this decision or whether it even damaged their case (it shouldn't have, but stranger things have happened).

I also wonder if the fact that it isn't used by anyone else but the French was viewed as a limitation?

A former ACM just before retirement had remarked that it is what goes into an aircraft that they are more concerned with rather than what it can do aerodynamically.

As it should be. If the focus is on equipment (primarily sensor suite I would imagine), then the F/A-18E/F would have to stand out from the others with its radar.

Either way, it will be interesting to see what happens next with this competition.

Regards,

Greg

 

[avatar]

yes the Super hornet does seem the stronger proposition given that statement by the former ACM.

moreover , its the best fly navy there is ( as of now at least) and the ministry will always take that into consideration.


meanwhile the French are asking the most horrendous price for the M2K overhaul.

50 million apiece no less.

 

[Stargazer2006]

It will be the F-18.
So much for the "non-aligned" blah-blah that was served for decades.
Let's hope Indian-produced F-18 will do better than the so-called LCA.
The French should offer the Rafale to Pakistan.

 

[avatar]

and pakistan will buy the rafale with? :

let me guess - american anti-terror aid money!


The so called LCA is a light fighter. so there is nothing so so about it.


it would have been in service now had it not been for american sanctions post the nuke test in 1998. the chinese chose to develop their vigorous dragon in collaboration with the russkis and fared better.

 

[Stargazer2006]

With Middle-East money...

 

[avatar]

even those guys are now unwilling to sink money in the snak.. ahem

 

[Stargazer2006]

They will have to deter India anyway.

 

[Deltafan]

Merci!
looks like the French are out of this one.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/French-fighter-jet-out-of-race-for-biggest-IAF-deal/articleshow/4412257.cms

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/04/20/325334/indian-air-force-says-rafale-still-in-fighter-competition.html

 

[GTX]

Ah, so perhaps the original story was simply journalists making up stories...or was it

Anyway, will be interesting to see how the MMRCA competition plays out - lots of possible variations and arguments every which way.

Regards,

Greg

 

[avatar]

the french are desperately lobbying to get back in. it is only natural that a lot of conflicting newstories will turn up.


http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rafale-out-of-contest-diplomatic-push-by-france/450268/

 

[Stargazer2006]

They just haven't paid enough to enough people, perhaps?

 

[Archibald]

Yeah, of course, and the other competitors are a bunch of angels and honest people, counting on the very qualities of their aircrafts to win the contract... big contract like this are all corruption. Ask the Saudis.

 

[avatar]

that unfortunately I cannot comment upon.

 

[Stargazer2006]

Something strange here: the technical evaluation of the competitors is expected to start in May and last for one year.
How can the Indians exclude a competitor on technical ground even before the technical evaluation has started?

 

[Deltafan]

http://www.defencetalk.com/france-likely-back-in-race-for-indian-warjet-deal-19218/

 

[Hammer Birchgrove]

Why isn't India just constructing and building their own aircrafts, they seem to know how. ???

 

[AeroFranz]

I don't know about that....the Tejas is pretty late, and they had some help from abroad

 

[Alexandre Julião]

Yeah, of course, and the other competitors are a bunch of angels and honest people, counting on the very qualities of their aircrafts to win the contract... big contract like this are all corruption. Ask the Saudis.

Or the Brazilians! :-[

 

[Hammer Birchgrove]

I don't know about that....the Tejas is pretty late, and they had some help from abroad

I see, thanks.