PARIKRAMA
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@PARIKRAMA Hello Sir
I wanted to ask about Two things
1 Who will be the Next defence minister
2 After the Agusta scam
the government is looking into the Pilatus and MMRCA Tendering and bidding process
So will Rafale deal get stuck up again
Hello my good friend,
First part, I cannot disclose bcz it's something with which I will be traced easily..
I can discuss the options which includes
- shifting FM to handle the defense portfolio
- Raising a recently elected RS member to DM level.
- Raising the recently elected RS member to some other portfolio and a portfolio reshuffle based on successful track record of some ministers. This list includes good name like prabhu - railways and Gadkari - transport overall, power minister piyush goyal etc
- Some junior ministers as well as other well know good man managers are also considered.
- Internally Rao Inderjith Singh is also considered but his experience at national level is limited but that gentleman knows what is what as of now.
- VK Singh name is doing rounds but that could be a mismatch owing to the fact that focus is improving air and naval power and realigning army with far more offensive firepower at individual level and deploying the reserve units to other forces to increase efficiency.
- Some folks also wants to wait for July when 50+ new RS member are coming.. So there is a chance someone may handle it for sometime or 2-3 months as a caretaker DM.
If you ask my personal opinion I had backed 3 guys including Inderjith singh but i had advised and cautioned against moving MP back to Goa. If BJP is clearly inclined as building MP up as a successor to NaMo based on performance, responsibility and mass appeal, then moving him back to Goa unit will backfire massively.
PM NaMo will fight max upto 2024 where in 2023 he will formally announce his successor name in public and build a image plus consensus. Thus MP moving back will backfire and open gates for other folks who may have mass appeal but also carry certain baggaes of controversies.
About second part, the NDA gov has initiated a new deal under G2G and the new Make in India part. The scope of the earlier investigation is the MMRCA deal. I had always questioned them on the deal structure and what were the flaws that for Rs 42000 crs 126 jets flyaway could nt be concluded.. What was the issue right from tender initiation to evaluation to finally signing bcz to me professionally it looked a big gestation period for absolutely NO result to carry forward. The whole tender and the structuring was impractical to begin with and for some good time I knew it won't be concluded. This whole Angle of motive of why it was done and for what needs to be understood.. Of course I speak apolitically. But knowing government and how politics is played , this would be again a mud slinging contest.
But the new Rafale deal of 36 + tranche 1 90 followed by 4 more tranches for IAF and IN will be done. That deal is far far strategic.. Barracuda tech, tech to AMCA, tech to LCA, tech to AURA project, tech of miniaturizing further the brahmos to a new Air launched variant which is less than 800-900 KGS but capable of carrying a 270 kg warhead for 150-200KT capability and a air launched range of 600km (ASMP type), cooperation and tech to a new generation of submarines -SSKs which are similar sized like the SSNs but almost double the size of scorpenes carrying a large cache of VLS and Torpedo tube launch missiles to provide ambiguity option for strike packages from deterrant perspective to space based collaborations. The field is too wide..
Interestingly all this was not done when original MMRCA made it clear much before the public announcement of France winning the deal. So everything needs to be understood of why some things were either overlooked or deliberately kept out..
The decisions are still not made for MP. Unless they find a credible replacement and from a long term perspective know that decision won't backfire. The same is for Rafales, it's way too much for any country including USA to match if they want to outsmart the French side.