Dassault Rafale, tender | News & Discussions

[sudhir007]

France offers to Indian Air Force for purchasing 40 Rafale fighters - All India Today

A French company offered to sell 40 of its state-of-the-art aircraft Rafale fighter jets to India for a bi-lateral air exercise on Friday. An Indo-French joint exercise is to be held somewhere in India in 2011 – 12. The offer was made by the maker of the Rafale and Mirage fighters, Charles Edelstennie, who is also the scion of the Dassult family. Dessult is a multi-billion French military and civil aerospace company.

The chairman and chief executive of Dassult said, “We know the Indian Air Force, with which we have a decade-long close association, is facing force depletion. So we are ready to supply 40 Rafales, the world’s first omni-role fighters to India, in a short span of time.”

The officers of French Air Force discussed the idea with the Indian Air Force team, which is now in France for a tri-lateral air exercise in which the Singapore air force is also involved. According to Edelastennie, Rafale fighters could be an interim sale to India to acquire 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft at cost of Rs 40,000 crore. He said, “It is fulfilling the needs and tasks of the French air force and navy globally.

An Indian Air Force officer, who is the part of the Indian continent for Garuda-2010 exercise in Istres air base in France, said, “At present, the talks for the next Indo-French exercise are also on and the French officials have expressed their desire to bring the Rafale aircraft for the next joint air exercise likely to be held in 2011-12 in India.” The current exercise also reached its final stage and exercise will be finished tomorrow. K K Nowhar, Air Marshall of Indian Air Force, who visited the Indian contingent said, “Our participation in the exercise has reinforced the manner in which we conduct our operations.”

 

[soaringphnx]

France offers to supply 40 Rafale fighters to IAF

As President Nicolas Sarkozy began talks with Indian leaders to boost Indo-French ties, a French company Friday offered to sell 40 of its new generation Rafale fighters to New Delhi on a fast track basis to help IAF maintain its combat edge.

The offer was made by Charles Edelstennie, scion of the Dassult family, the makers of the Rafale and Mirage fighters. "We know the Indian Air Force, with which we have a decade-long close association, is facing force depletion. So we are ready to supply 40 Rafales, the world's first omni-role fighters to India, in a short span of time", the chairman and chief executive of Dassult, a multi-billion French military and civil aerospace company, told PTI.

Edelastennie said Rafale fighters could be an interim sale to India as New Delhi finalises preparations to acquire 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft at an estimated cost of $10 billion (about Rs 40,000 crore).

"We estimate delays in procurements of these 126 fighters. So we are offering the Rafale fighters as interim arrangement", he said.

The government has already cleared a contract for purchase of 40 additional SU-30MKI to maintain an effective air combat strength.

Terming the Rafale fighter supply as a "friendly gesture to help close friend India," Edelstennie said his company was a strong bidder for India's MCRA contract.

Rubbishing notions that Rafale came with a heavy price tag, the Dassult CEO said "the fighters' cost to efficiency was not high. New Delhi would get a cheaper price tag as the fighters' assembly in India under technology transfer would not be high".

"Rafale is very close to life cycle cost of Mirage 2000," the French CEO, who is part of the 60-strong captains of French Industry accompanying President Sarkozy, said.

Describing Rafale as a truly multi-role aircraft, Edelstennie said the fighter had air to air, air to ground as well as air to sea capability, which would allow IAF the liberty of using fewer aircraft for multi-tasking. He said France had always been a "friend in need" for India.

We have been transferring weapon platforms and systems to you even in adverse international conditions," the Dassult CEO said.

He claimed all the French military supplies to India were coming without "any strings attached" unlike sales from US and Russia .

On Rafale sales offer to India, Edelstennie said this was not the only gesture made by the French. "A couple of years ago we thrice made an offer to India to transfer the entire Mirage-2000 assembly lines and also the entire export rights of the fighters," he said. "We see and feel the regret now. It was a golden opportunity which your then government did not utilize," the French CEO claimed.

Edelastennie asserted that unlike the US fighters in contention for the Indian contract, Rafale was a generation ahead. "It is fulfilling the needs and tasks of the French air force and navy globally."

On installation of a AESA radar on the Rafale fighters as stated by the Indian fighter tender, he said a French version of the radar had been developed by the Thales company and would be in full production in the aircraft by 2012.

On the Mirage-2000 upgrade, the French executive said his company had made a proposal to India and currently negotiations were on. Asked if the estimated price tag of 1.5 billion euro for the upgrade was not too high, Edelstennie said "We have come to negotiations and let us see how the final picture would emerge".

On booming sales of his Falcon 7x900DX and 2000lx business jets sales in India, he said "the sales have been on the upward swing and we hope that they get more bigger soon".

France offers to supply 40 Rafale fighters to IAF

 

[Ammyy]

^^ so this offer is different from MRCA??????

 

[SpArK]

Any info about the price they are offering??

 

[soaringphnx]

^^ so this offer is different from MRCA??????

From what I understand, the French are proposing it as an interim arrangement as they feel that there may be delays in the MRCA induction. They are offering to provide 40 Rafales in a short span to help the IAF curb it's force depletion. This offer seems to be separate from the MRCA.

 

[SpArK]

France offers to supply 40 Rafale fighters to IAF

France offers to supply 40 Rafale fighters to IAF​

As President Nicolas Sarkozy began talks with Indian leaders to boost Indo-French ties, a French company Friday offered to sell 40 of its new generation Rafale fighters to New Delhi on a fast track basis to help IAF maintain its combat edge.

The offer was made by Charles Edelstennie, scion of the Dassult family, the makers of the Rafale and Mirage fighters. "We know the Indian Air Force, with which we have a decade-long close association, is facing force depletion. So we are ready to supply 40 Rafales, the world's first omni-role fighters to India, in a short span of time", the chairman and chief executive of Dassult, a multi-billion French military and civil aerospace company, told PTI.

Edelastennie said Rafale fighters could be an interim sale to India as New Delhi finalises preparations to acquire 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft at an estimated cost of $10 billion (about Rs 40,000 crore).

"We estimate delays in procurements of these 126 fighters. So we are offering the Rafale fighters as interim arrangement", he said.

The government has already cleared a contract for purchase of 40 additional SU-30MKI to maintain an effective air combat strength.

Terming the Rafale fighter supply as a "friendly gesture to help close friend India," Edelstennie said his company was a strong bidder for India's MCRA contract.

Rubbishing notions that Rafale came with a heavy price tag, the Dassult CEO said "the fighters' cost to efficiency was not high. New Delhi would get a cheaper price tag as the fighters' assembly in India under technology transfer would not be high".

"Rafale is very close to life cycle cost of Mirage 2000," the French CEO, who is part of the 60-strong captains of French Industry accompanying President Sarkozy, said.

Describing Rafale as a truly multi-role aircraft, Edelstennie said the fighter had air to air, air to ground as well as air to sea capability, which would allow IAF the liberty of using fewer aircraft for multi-tasking. He said France [Images] had always been a "friend in need for India.

We have been transferring weapon platforms and systems to you even in adverse international conditions," the Dassult CEO said.

He claimed all the French military supplies to India were coming without "any strings attached" unlike sales from US and Russia [Images].

On Rafale sales offer to India, Edelstennie said this was not the only gesture made by the French. "A couple of years ago we thrice made an offer to India to transfer the entire Mirage-2000 assembly lines and also the entire export rights of the fighters," he said. "We see and feel the regret now. It was a golden opportunity which your then government did not utilize," the French CEO claimed.

Edelastennie asserted that unlike the US fighters in contention for the Indian contract, Rafale was a generation ahead. "It is fulfilling the needs and tasks of the French air force and navy globally."

On installation of a AESA radar on the Rafale fighters as stated by the Indian fighter tender, he said a French version of the radar had been developed by the Thales company and would be in full production in the aircraft by 2012.

On the Mirage-2000 upgrade, the French executive said his company had made a proposal to India and currently negotiations were on. Asked if the estimated price tag of 1.5 billion euro for the upgrade was not too high, Edelstennie said "We have come to negotiations and let us see how the final picture would emerge".

On booming sales of his Falcon 7x900DX and 2000lx business jets sales in India, he said "the sales have been on the upward swing and we hope that they get more bigger soon".

 

[Ammyy]

From what I understand, the French are proposing it as an interim arrangement as they feel that there may be delays in the MRCA induction. They are offering to provide 40 Rafales in a short span to help the IAF curb it's force depletion. This offer seems to be separate from the MRCA.

But by this logic if we dnt select Rafales then only for these 40 jets we have to maintain technology and made some changes according to them .... i think if India`s dnt want to select Rafales for MRCA so IAF dnt want only 40 jets

 

[karan.1970]

France offers to supply 40 Rafale fighters to IAF

France offers to supply 40 Rafale fighters to IAF​

^^ Strong business accumen if I ever saw one.

 

[soaringphnx]

@ benny

What's the difference between your post and mine??

 

[soaringphnx]

If IAF doesn't choose the Rafale in MRCA, IMO they should atleast accept this offer. Of course, that would mean more platforms which equals more headaches for IAF.... If the IAF were to select the Rafale, this offer would be quite a logical decision to curb force depletions. It also gives us some leverage to bargain.

 

[flanker143]

i heard french offered to integrate kaveri engines in rafale for mmrca ??

is it true ?? plz tel ....

 

[soaringphnx]

i heard french offered to integrate kaveri engines in rafale for mmrca ??

is it true ?? plz tel ....

As far as I know, true.

 

[Hulk]

We should go for Rafael, I feel so. The french experience in the past has been better.

 

[flanker143]

for me both eu fighters are more or less the same .... but the point is we want them fast !!!

 

[karan.1970]

This may also be a result of France realizing that India is not going to go with Rafael and hence trying to fill in the time gap between now and delivery of the MRCA planes. Hence the reference to the similarity in Mirage 2000-9 and Rafael from running costs perspective.