Reply With QuoteThe choice is done but the process must go to completion.Originally Posted by TGIF
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...=1#post4826421
http://www.lesechos.fr/info/analyses...est-normal.htm
sad but true...
The choice is done but the process must go to completion.
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...=1#post4826421
http://www.lesechos.fr/info/analyses...est-normal.htm
http://www.corlobe.tk/article18762.htmlFrance sends 10 ships and 30 aircraft participating in a NATO exercise
The Navy will send10 vessels and 30 aircraft to participate in the next Brilliant Mariner organized by NATO, whose aim is to characterize the maritime component of the NRF (NATO Response Force: Rapid Reaction Force of NATO), has said March 25 Admiral Jean-Louis Kérignard.
[...]
"This is the first time that the Navy sends as many ships," said Admiral Kérignard. "There will be a french high-profile . There is much at stake"
The force includes the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and 19 fighter jets - 7 Rafale and Super Etendard 12 - and 2 Hawkeye radar aircraft, building projection and command Mistral and a nuclear submarine attack, the 'Emerald.
The exercise will run from April 12 to 22. It is intended to qualify the maritime component for a period of 6 months beginning on 1 July. The objective of the exercise is to stabilize the situation in the region fictitious Cesaria. The fleet and its aircraft will react to scenarios designed to reflect current events, including piracy, ethnic cleansing and terrorist threats.
[...]
Part of the exercise is to respond to the actions of Visby stealth corvettes from the Swedish navy.Denmark will send F-16 fighters, who are participating in Exercise Ardent Brilliant Earth, which will take place at the same time in Germany.
The U.S. Navy will send the frigate Boone and a maritime patrol aircraft P-3 Orion.
Germany and Denmark hosting the exercise to be conducted in the North Sea.
[...]
http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=112767
Pics from the French Navy day , march 23 , Toulon:
From:
http://www.theatrum-belli.com/
The day before
yesterday:
F-X2 overview:
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php...37&c=EUR&s=AIRLatest Deadline For Brazil Fighter Decision: April
Published: 28 Mar 2010 09:43
SAO PAULO, Brazil - Brazil plans to announce in early April the winner of a multibillion-dollar competition for modern fighter jets meant to cement its new role as Latin America's preeminent military power.
The tender, though, has been marked by infighting between Brazil's air force and government, and fierce rivalry between the nations vying to score the deal.
The finalists now include France's Rafale made by Dassault, Sweden's Gripen NG by Saab, and the F/A-18 Super Hornet by Boeing.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's stated preference for the ultra-sophisticated, semi-stealth Rafale jet annoyed the Air Force, which preferred the much cheaper and easier-to-maintain Gripen.
The Super Hornet, in contrast, has languished in the race - less because of performance comparisons than Brazil's hard-learned lessons that U.S. companies are more reluctant to give full access to their military technology.
Throughout the competition, Lula and his defense minister, Nelson Jobim, have underscored technology transfer as their top priority so that Brazil could not only build its own next-generation fighters but also export them.
That ambition derives from Brazil's growing global clout, and the expectation that Latin America's biggest economy now deserves a seat at the top table alongside U.N. Security Council permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
France's jet bid was bolstered by the fact that Brazil's strategic pact with Paris that has already seen it sign a $12 billion deal in early 2009 to buy 50 helicopters and five submarines from France. One of the submarines will be built to run on nuclear power.
The value of the jet fighter contract has not been revealed, but it is estimated at between $4 billion and $10 billion, depending on the final choice, maintenance costs and armaments.
The initial purchase will be for 36 aircraft to patrol Brazil's vast airspace over the next 30 years, with an option to add nearly 100 more.
Faced with such a juicy opportunity and eyeing other open tenders in India and Kuwait, the competing companies have gone all out to land the Brazilian tender.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy lent his negotiating skills to the endeavor, and he and President Lula issued a joint statement in September saying Brazil had entered into exclusive negotiations to buy the Rafales.
But when the two sidelined contenders cried foul and Brazil's air force showed its displeasure through leaks to the media, Lula had to backtrack and say the competition was still wide open.
The United States used the opening to send top envoys, including national security adviser Jim Jones, to try to convince Brazil the U.S. government was ready to transfer "necessary" technology to win the deal.
Not be outdone, Dassault reportedly cut $2 billion off its asking price, according to the Folha de Sao Paulo daily. The French company did not confirm the discount, saying only it was "confidently" awaiting Brazil's decision.
Then in late February, the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson was morphed into a floating showroom when it was sent to Brazil with its contingent of F/A-18s on display. Boeing representatives were handily available on land to answer questions.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton followed up with a visit in early March, during which she also lobbied for the Super Hornet.
Sweden's Saab, which has emphasized that Brazil could be a partner in the Gripen NG's development right from the prototype stage, has sought to have the last word.
Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia made visit to Brazil this week, during which Swedish business leaders, including Saab CEO Aake Svensson. talked up the business opportunities from a Gripen win.
Under such formidable pressure - domestic and international - Brazil's government has repeatedly pushed back its decision date.
The head of the Air Force, Gen. Juniti Saito, had said the winner would be announced by the end of March.
But Jobim, the defense minister, said March 25 that the victor would now not be declared before April 5, after Brazil's Easter break.
Kuweit: big fight about the Rafale between the gov. and its islamist opponents.
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsD...s/Default.aspxA number of lawmakers threaten to grill the PM, other ministers
Govt accused of bargaining with some MPs to obtain their votes
KUWAIT CITY, March 30:
[...]
Al- Saadoun pointed out the annual plan forwarded to the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee is empty as the Ministry of Defense was mentioned only in five lines of the plan despite a number of discussions on the French Rafale aircraft deal. He said he has obtained information that the intermediary in this deal is Bashar, a non-Kuwaiti. He called on the premier and Sheikh Mubarak to accept his recommendations; otherwise, “we will be forced to use our constitutional tools to submit political questions regarding the deal.”
In a related development, MPs Faisal Al-Muslim and Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash threatened to grill the prime minister and Sheikh Mubarak due to a dearth of information about the French Rafale aircraft deal. They warned against signing the deal as they intend to present a grilling request a day after the signing.
Al-Muslim added he has obtained information about the entry of some Israelis to Kuwait, so he will also present parliamentary questions on the issue.
[...]
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news...d=ODk0NjY3MTE=MPs warn govt on arms deals, widespread corruption
Published Date: March 31, 2010
KUWAIT: MPs yesterday strongly criticized the government policies in various fields and warned they would grill the defense minister or the prime minister if the government signs what they described as 'suspicious' arms deals. On his part, outspoken opposition MP Mussallam Al-Barrak claimed that the government tried to "bribe some MPs in a bid to save the information minister last week," adding the government offered some services to at least MPs Hassan Jowhar and Aseel Al-Awadhi. Awadhi later denied the c
laim. The fiery session came as the Assembly began debating a report by a special committee formed to prepare a response to the Amiri Address delivered at the inauguration of the current term of the national assembly in late October.
Many MPs criticized what they called the government failure in various fields, wide-spread corruption, favoritism and 'suspicious' arms deals, warning they would grill the prime minister if such deals were signed.
Veteran opposition MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun claimed that two senior army officers have resigned in protest over the planned purchase of the French-made Rafale warplanes.
He said the information which was revealed by the Reform and Development Bloc is so serious that can lead to the collapse of the whole government and not only the defense ministry.
Saadoun revealed that a non-Kuwaiti man named only as Bashar has been mediating the Rafale deal and he held talks with the French defense minister. "This deal will not be allowed to proceed. We will oppose it with all our force and use political questioning against the prime minister or the defense minister," Saadoun said.
[...]
Actually, they criticize koweit/french deal, ongoing and pretty clearl! Instead of former / usual US deals, often too easy going...
Well, how many are these islamists, running for the US in fact! (all in all, highly humorous)
Switzerland: postponement ? 2 or 4 years ?
From Pascal Kümmerling , the journalist in charge of the swiss blog: Avia News.For information: The Head of the DDPS U. Maurer [swiss MOD] suggested today to the federal council to postpone the choice of fighter aircraft to stabilize the finances of its department. Note this does not mean that Mr. Maurer is opposed to the the purchase of new planes,on the contrary ! The Federal Council should consider this proposal and vote for or against! If it is accepted, the choice of aircraft would take place within 2 to 4 years which would postpone the arrival of the first aircraft by mid-2019 instead of 2015!
I'd make a note detailing the subject according to the decision; according to it, because some information can't still be revealed.
http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/
http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/...mbat-cqfd.html
Switzerland: announcement reported in June
From:The publication of the Ueli Maurer report postponed again.
Publication of the report on security policy is once again postponed. The Federal Council has certainly discussed, but he "still wants to deepen one point or another," according to his spokesman. The report should be adopted April 14 before being submitted for consultation.
The consultation takes the form of a hearing of interested parties, said the spokesman Andre Simonazzi government. The report will be forwarded to Parliament before the summer along with a report on the army on measures of implementation of security policy.
The issue of replacing the fleet of Tiger combat aircrafts will be treated at the same time, probably in June, according to Vice-Chancellor.
31 mars 2010 14:15
http://www.romandie.com/infos/ats/di...ociate=phf2468
Dassault should reduce the price of the Rafale and stop wasting money !
http://www.europe1.fr/Culture/Dassau...iomphe-166688/
Dassault will restore the Arc de Triomphe
Published March 30, 2010 at 21h04 Updated March 30, 2010 at 21:50
The Arc de Triomphe will be submitted in the coming months to restore its four big sculpted groups by the patronage of the aircraft manufacturer Dassault, which offered 800,000 euros, reports AFP.The restoration will be completed for the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Appeal of June 18 [...]
Morin, about current negotiations:
http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/201...fre-ouvert.php[...] Mr. Morin has also said he's "confident" about the purchase by Brasil of the Rafale combat aircraft of the French Dassault Aviation. "We are in a state of extremely advanced negotiations with a number of countries; these negotiations I hope will end before the end of the year," he said. "If the Brazilian government announce it has chosen the Rafale, it will be the first to do so because the others will come rather late in the year," he said.
French officials said the same last year, and even 2 years ago... What does it mean?! No progress in current negotiations, eventually.
No , there wasn't "extremely advanced negotiations" in Brazil , UAE or Kuwait 2 years ago.
The truth is selling combat aircrafts nowadays is a long and tortuous job.
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