I'd been very wary all weekend about posting about
a very strong rumour that's been doing the rounds specifically for the last five days or so, but now a mainsteam Indian business newspaper (Mint) has a piece today leading with precisely that -- word that the Eurofighter Typhoon has been identified by the Indian MoD as the lowest bidder (L1) in India's monumental $20-billion medium multirole combat aircraft (M-MRCA) competition. Obviously,
there is no official confirmation of this, and there is unlikely to be any until a formal announcement is made either way. The competition has been marked by hearsay and rumours right through its life (sometimes, vendors have leapt in to correct them), and I'm only putting this post up since a mainstream newspaper has put it down in print (and that I'd heard the rumour as well). It's delicate right now.
The
brief report goes on to say that representatives of
EADS Cassidian and Dassault are to be summoned to the MoD on Thursday (Jan 12). So is this it? We'll know soon. Stay tuned.
Livefist: Eurofighter Lowest Bidder In Indian MMRCA Bid, Sources Tell Newspaper
Here is the livemint story -
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Govt to soon close deal for fighter jets
The two remaining contenders in the deal are likely to be called by the defence ministry on Thursday
New Delhi:
The Eurofighter Typhoon may have emerged as the lowest bidder (L1) in the multi-billion dollar deal to procure 126 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF), according to people familiar with the matter.
Mint could not independently verify this.
The two remaining contenders in the deal are likely to be called by the defence ministry on Thursday, these people said on condition of anonymity.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is promoted by European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., or EADS. The other contender vying for the L1 slot is the Rafale, promoted by Dassault SA.
Sitanshu Kar, the defence ministry’s spokesperson, declined to comment.
Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-16IN Super Viper, both from the US and initially seen to be among the frontrunners, Russia’s Mikoyan MiG-35 and Sweden’s Saab JAS 39 Gripen were the other contenders.
The defence ministry short-listed the Eurofighter and the Rafale after extensive field trials. The shortlist was announced on 29 April. The deal is potentially worth $10 billion, which would make it the single largest defence deal India has ever struck.
Govt to soon close deal for fighter jets - Economy and Politics - livemint.com