HAIDER
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- May 21, 2006
- Messages
- 33,771
- Reaction score
- 14
- Country
- Location
PARIS (AP) - France is in talks on providing high-tech missile and radar systems for a jet fighter that Pakistan is developing with China, a Defense Ministry official confirmed Tuesday.
Such a deal on Pakistan's JF-17 fighter would likely be opposed by the United States and Taiwan, analysts have said, out of concern that China
could reap sensitive military technology.
Bruno Berthet, assistant director for international development at the French Defense Ministry, said France is considering such concerns as it works toward signing a provisional deal that could allow Pakistan to obtain air-to-air missiles from France's MBDA and radars from Thales.
No deal has been reached, «but the talks are on the right track, and there are diplomatic comings and goings between the two countries,» Berthet told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a news conference. He said it was too early to say when a memorandum of understanding might be signed.
A deal would be a boon to French industry at a time when its overall economy has been lackluster, and government officials have been eager to support defense exports. A supply deal for the JF-17 fighter could be worth hundreds of millions of euros (dollars) to France, said Berthet.
The head of the French defense procurement agency, Francois Lureau, told the news conference that France's defense sector reaped an estimated ¤5.5 billion (US$8.18 billion) worth of export contracts last year, and expected to reach ¤6 billion in 2008.
The MBDA missiles and radars similar to Thales' equip Taiwan's French-built Mirage fighters, and Taiwan's weapons systems could be compromised if Pakistan gave such know-how to China, Jane's Defense Weekly reported in September.
Berthet said there was «no pressure» from the United States, but acknowledged that French and American officials have held high-level talks over «a certain number of export principles.
«On the fighter plane, the French position is more ambitious than the American position,» Berthet said. «Reciprocally, I note that the Americans export a certain amount of night-vision gear for Pakistan's land forces _ which seems to us sensitive for other reasons.
France confirms talks with Pakistan on high-tech systems for fighter developed with China
Such a deal on Pakistan's JF-17 fighter would likely be opposed by the United States and Taiwan, analysts have said, out of concern that China
could reap sensitive military technology.
Bruno Berthet, assistant director for international development at the French Defense Ministry, said France is considering such concerns as it works toward signing a provisional deal that could allow Pakistan to obtain air-to-air missiles from France's MBDA and radars from Thales.
No deal has been reached, «but the talks are on the right track, and there are diplomatic comings and goings between the two countries,» Berthet told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a news conference. He said it was too early to say when a memorandum of understanding might be signed.
A deal would be a boon to French industry at a time when its overall economy has been lackluster, and government officials have been eager to support defense exports. A supply deal for the JF-17 fighter could be worth hundreds of millions of euros (dollars) to France, said Berthet.
The head of the French defense procurement agency, Francois Lureau, told the news conference that France's defense sector reaped an estimated ¤5.5 billion (US$8.18 billion) worth of export contracts last year, and expected to reach ¤6 billion in 2008.
The MBDA missiles and radars similar to Thales' equip Taiwan's French-built Mirage fighters, and Taiwan's weapons systems could be compromised if Pakistan gave such know-how to China, Jane's Defense Weekly reported in September.
Berthet said there was «no pressure» from the United States, but acknowledged that French and American officials have held high-level talks over «a certain number of export principles.
«On the fighter plane, the French position is more ambitious than the American position,» Berthet said. «Reciprocally, I note that the Americans export a certain amount of night-vision gear for Pakistan's land forces _ which seems to us sensitive for other reasons.
France confirms talks with Pakistan on high-tech systems for fighter developed with China
