French media
Dassault va vendre 126 rafales à l'Inde - Libération
Translated version below
India has selected the Dassault Rafale in the colossal bid for to deliver 126 jets, which should be the first export success for this device French, announced Tuesday a government source of India.
Dassault was competing with the European consortium Eurofighter Typhoon and. This tender, dating back to 2007, is one of the largest ever launched by the third largest economy in Asia and one of the most important moment in the area of ​​air defense.
"It is confirmed that Dassault was awarded the contract , "valued at $ 12 billion," as there were only two groups (in competition) and it is he who is the lowest bidder " the source said on condition of anonymity. The French State Secretary for Foreign Trade, Pierre Lellouche, confirmed the French success, but stressed that the contract remained to be finalized.
"We won the contract, but a few things remain to be finalized" and "we are in a period of exclusive negotiations , "Lellouche said on French radio station BFM. At the Paris Bourse, the title of Dassault soared 21.72% to 774.94 euros in the announcement of the contract awarded.
France "welcomes"
France " welcomes the decision of the Indian government to select " the Rafale, according to a statement from the Elysee confirming "exclusive negotiations" for the purchase by New Delhi to 126 copies of the combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation.
President Nicolas Sarkozy " was informed of the selection by India's Rafale for the acquisition by the Indian air force of 126 fighters " , wrote the president. Contract negotiations, the statement added, " will soon engage with the full support of the French authorities. It will include significant transfers of technology guaranteed by the French state. "
"The Rafale has been selected by the competitiveness of its overall cost of the life of the unit after a pre-selection in April 2011 on the basis of its qualities leading operational , "the statement said.
Fierce competition
The tender had attracted global giants in the sector who were engaged in fierce competition. The Rafale and Eurofighter aircraft had been shortlisted in April, putting out of play trucks American sector, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, the Swedish firm Saab Gripen, Russian MiG.
Eurofighter-Typhoon jet fighter is produced by a consortium of European defense groups and arming EADS (46%), BAE Systems (33%) and Italy's Alenia / Finmeccanica (21%). In India, the candidate the lowest bidder usually wins the contract.
This is the first call for tenders launched by India, who was far contracts over the counter and rested for 50 years of Soviet technology for its air force.
The contract stipulates that India, which seeks to modernize its army will buy 18 aircraft directly by 2012, while 108 others will be built in India.
"Proponent"
James Hardy, editor of industry publication Jane's Defence Weekly, praised the "great victory for the Rafale" , but cautioned that the final agreement was still far from concluded.
"The Rafale is the successful candidate, but any student acquisition (contract) knows that this means nothing, until the contract is not physically signed" , he warned, questioned by AFP.
According to this expert, the recent devaluation of the rupee against the dollar and the "normal contractual negotiations" could delay the signing of several years.
The juicy tender was the heart of many official visits to India last year. U.S. President Barack Obama, his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron and the head of the Russian state Dmitry Medvedev had all been keen to advocate their respective manufacturers.
(AFP)