Opinion:
Full article:India Should Ensure Arms Deals Are Not One Way Traffic
DefPro, feb 3
India expected to spend around $200bn-plus on defence over the next 10 years
With French Dassault Aviation’s Rafale now qualifying for the final round of negotiations with the government for its 126 fighter aircraft, most expect the final $10.3 billion deal to be clinched in a few months from now. The final cost will be decided through tough negotiations and once a figure is arrived at, this will be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security for clearance.
It is useful to examine the deal on six parameters. First, the need for a large acquisition. It is now amply clear that the gap between a fast depleting (it could go down to 22 odd squadrons by 2018-18) fleet and what is required is increasing by the day-while the sanctioned fleet is 39.5 squadrons, successive air chiefs have hinted the ideal strength to be somewhere close to 45 squadrons. If the obsolescent quotient of the Indian Air Force (IAF) fleet strength crosses even 50 per cent (ideally, a typical fleet ought to possess 30 per cent state-of-the-art, 40 per cent current generation and 30 per cent ageing fleet), the capability of the air force will be severely hit. One may cite enough reasons for numerical deficiencies, but the hard fact is that India needs about 180-200 fighters in the next 10 years, especially in the current generation category, in order to remain modern, robust and battle-worthy. The 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal with Dassault, thus, needs a prudent follow-on order by 2017 at the latest.
The cost is a complicated subjective issue. The total cost of the 126 MMRCA, including life-cycle costs, could be anywhere around $18-20 billion, which is staggering by any standard. This is where prudence would play a role. It is not a question of having the ‘best’ or ‘reasonably good’ product, but it depends on how the defence ministry recovers a good portion of value of money through offsets or real transfer of technology or even spin-offs from the programme. Given the recent experience of cost negotiations between the defence ministry and foreign vendors, including the one with Dassault on the mid-life upgrade of the Mirage fleet, it will be interesting to see how both sides negotiate. It is still early days for Dassault and further developments in the MMRCA contract will be closely watched. While Dassault will go all out to grab the deal, EADS also smells an opportunity, if cost negotiations with Dassault fail.
The IAF and the defence ministry/political leadership together deserve compliments for shaping the procurement process thus far and ensuring that such a gigantic acquisition follows procurement guidelines and does not falter on time delays. Two points are worth mentioning. First, the MMRCA has gone through the process, right from request for information and request for proposal through the rigorous process of technical/field evaluations to commercial bidding and contract negotiations in a span of less than five years. Ideally, a major procurement process takes about 36 to 52 months, as mandated by the defence procurement procedure and the MMRCA, if everything goes well, will take about 60 months-a remarkable feat from any account given the size, complexities and players involved. Second, the process has been fairly transparent. There were disappointments, even strong reactions from the results of technical and field evaluations, especially by the Americans. This is obvious. However, the defence ministry has been careful enough to explain the results to each of the vendors at appropriate stages of procurement.
The fourth parameter: political and strategic considerations. It is common knowledge that big arms deals are less about economics and technology and more about politics, and the MMRCA was not expected to be an exception. But two things suggest the deal is less about politics per se and more about a prudent blending of economics, technology and a bit of politics. First, as per the defence procurement procedure, which contains a clause “Political and Strategic Considerations” (Page 23, Para 73, DPP-2011), the MMRCA has actually followed a typical text-book method of all procedural arrangements by neither being a single vendor case nor a case where strategic or diplomatic dividends have been spelt out. Second, under such considerations, the winner may not necessarily be the lowest bidder, whereas Rafale has been selected purely on the basis of being the lowest bidder. The MMRCA, it appears at least on the surface, has blended political prudence without compromising the qualitative needs of the IAF.
Despite tall claims made by the defence ministry on the fifth parameter-offsets-the details are sketchy. The ministry claims it has managed to sign offsets contracts worth as much as $2.1 billion and another $8.5 billion are at various stages of negotiations [???] but not too many details are available. When the offsets are signed with Dassault, hopefully the ministry will come out with more details that can be examined by analysts to gauge the degree of benefits that the industry is likely to get.
Last but not the least, the future. While India will spend around $200 billion-plus in the next 10 years, future contracts like the MMRCA should pave the way for opportunities for Indian firms to upgrade their design, development, production and innovation capabilities. Much would depend on how vendors like Dassault are lured to help the Indians and in the process help themselves. India must ensure that arms deals are not a one-way traffic for suppliers.
http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/...f88dda625c6f9b
From:Dassault in bid to undermine Gripen in Switzerland
IHS Jane's , feb 3
French manufacturer Dassault is continuing to promote its Rafale combat aircraft to Switzerland, some two months after it was announced that the country's fighter procurement competition had been won by the Swedish-built Saab JAS 39 Gripen.
In a letter seen by Jane's , Dassault's Swiss campaign director, Philippe Da Silva Passos, told the security commissions of Switzerland's two parliamentary houses that the company was now in a position to offer 18 Rafales for CHF2.7 billion (USD2.9 billion). Swiss Defence Minister Ueli Maurer said that this figure is CHF400 million below that given for 22 Gripen E/F fighters in November 2011. However, Maurer stressed that neither he nor his office had received any such renewed offer from Dassault.
Even though the future Gripen (MS21 standard) has been announced as the platform to partially replace the Swiss Air Force's ageing fleet of Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II fighters, the contract has yet to be signed. Passos explained that Dassault is making its revised offer now as it had been unable to do so previously, given the tight budgetary timeframe.
Swiss sources have expressed concerns to Jane's that any moves to reverse the decision at this stage will undermine public support for the entire project and could jeopardise the outcome of the planned referendum on the issue in 2013.
http://www.janes.com/products/janes/...hannel=defence
it's a parody. The guy pulls up a little card from his pocket supposed to be the whole scope statement and reads "the planes shall cost xxxx money, doesn't matter what they perform, we won't use them anyway, it's just to keep the pilots occupied". Starts with saying "the deal includes anti-corrosion guarantee for every 1000 km" and the rebate of 300 millions euros "peanuts".Originally Posted by Olybrius
(Only for those who understand french):
Werner Ehrensperger , DDPS (Department of Defense, the protection of people and sports) deputy communications officer, about the new offer made by the aircraft manufacturer Dassault to replace the Tiger of the Swiss army :
http://www.rsr.ch/#/couleur3/program...ate=30-01-2012
it's the worse Swiss accent I've heard, sounds like a Quebecois with a German accent. Dassaôte ?
the real name of the "interviewed" guy is Vincent Veillon
Garlic Marauder Franco British CAS/Forward ATC/JTAC exercise in UK
First time I see a Rafale using its cannon, thanks for sharing.
its "Gallic" not Garlic. Ok I know that in the UK we are pictured as onion-sellers but still....
EXERCISE GALLIC MARAUDER 01/02/2012
by Blackcat1 » Wed Feb 01, 2012 7:45 pmPlayers today :
Check In freq : 264.725
0900L-0950 : 2x Super Etendard's "Quaker 1-2" working French JTACS' "Jaguar 11+13" on 264.725 & 241.55 carrying out medium/low level deliveries.
1015-1100 : 2x Rafale's "FNY 5651", switched to "Lascar 45 A/B" when working with "Jaguar" JTAC'S on 241.55
1405-1450 : 2x Rafales' "FNY 5651" (Serials 23/19), switched to "Lascar 47 A/B". Worked "Jaguar 13". Playtime 45 minutes, Lascar A armed with 27mm and his "Wingy"(lol) Lascar B armed with JDAM, all type 1 controls, negative spot map.
Also worked JTAC's "Raptor 24 (French) Bullion 83 (British), Shark 11 (French & British), Bullion 25 (British), Lion 30 & Lion 47" (French), carried out dry runs but live strafe. Also carried out recce passes at 800 feet and carried out live strafe on convoy whilst flying at 800 feet in formation, before pulling up and rt'bing checking out with Jaguar FAC before requesting a climb to FL400 RTB Landi on London Mil 278.6.
Targets were 3 truck convoy, vehicles and the Jaguar targets on the range.
1500-1600 : Super Etendards "Quaker Flt" had sadly cancelled.
Other range movements not Ex traffic
1x Hawk T1 "Osprey 1" 1100-130
1x Hawk T2 "Python 1" 1230-1250
2x Hawk T2s "Ninja 1-2" 1300-1330 (practice bomb's)
2x Hawk T1s "Stingray 1-2" 1330-1400 (XX338/XX178) (Strafe)
Also seen, 1x C130 low level south-north at 1400
1x AAC Lynx AH1, routing Castlemartin-eastbound at 1600
http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/foru...325965#p325916
obviously lol , its "120s" ,a short humoristic radio show.
http://www.tacticalreport.com/view_n...ale_issue/2468UAE: Positive signals about the Rafale issue
The Emiratis are said to have received positive signals from France about the possibility of Dassault reconsidering its offer for the Rafale aircraft.[...]
2 days ago they, they were trying to suggest the opposite, but since, La Tribune published positive news about the ongoing negotiations...
Some journalists in France give much credit to Tactical Report but I find them a bit ....opportunistic
Air International, February 2012:
Rafale's Naval Ramp up: 6 magnificent pages about the 11F flotilla and its new Rafale.
At last we are switching from a single unit equipped with Rafale, to two naval squadron equipped with our latest fighter[...] M32 was the first Rafale to wear the low-viz horse markings of flotilla 11F on both sides of its fin
Istres 2005:
Admiral Arun Prakash (retd.)
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arun_Prakash
"Having flown both the F/A-18 and the Rafale, I can say that while the former would certainly have met all the IAF requirements competently and economically, the breathtaking performance of the latter leaves one in no doubt that it is a “generation-next” machine."
Air International , february 2012, page 20:
TUDM=Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia; Royal Malaysian Air Force (in malay)[...]Dassault also brought 2 Rafale to Lima [Malaysia], from Al Dhafra AB in the UAE and fresh from an apparence at the Dubai Airshow.
While the single seat Rafale C took care of flying duties, the two seats Rafale B was used for VIP flights. The company also had a large presence in the exhibition hall and was keen to provide details of Rafale's success in Afghanistan and most recently in Lybia.
A TUDM team spent 15 days evaluating the Rafale in France in early 2011 and began technical evaluation with two pilots in November.[...]
Google translated from:India: the Rafale was 15 to 20% cheaper than the Eurofighter
Secret Defense ,Feb 5
According to our sources, the price offered by Rafale International (Dassault, Thales and Snecma) for 126 combat aircraft was 15 to 20% cheaper than the price offered by its competitor, the Eurofighter Typhoon, proposed by the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Spain. The price - for both acquisition and usage cost - is therefore one of the main reasons for India to open exclusive negociations with France.
[...]
http://www.marianne2.fr/blogsecretde...hter_a514.html
Air@Cosmos 2298, Feb 3, page 11:
Rafale for India might be (unexhaustive list) :
F30-4T with
- RBE2 AESA
- DDM NG
- MICA
- METEOR
- M88-4E (no decision made about Kaveri)
- AASM
- AM39 Block 2 Mod 2
- Scalp EG
- RECO NG
- Damocles or Litening
- Divy Drishti (Samtel Thales Topsight HMD)
- anti radar missile
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
