Germany Seeks Stronger Ties With India

[A.Rahman]

Germany Seeks Stronger Ties With India


The German government would like to improve its ties with India, and a defense deal such as selling Eurofighter Typhoons could be a means to that end, defense observers say.
Bernd Mützelburg, Germany’s ambassador to India, told journalists in Berlin April 19 that such a deal would greatly enhance bilateral relations. The former high-ranking member of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s staff said Berlin views India as a rising regional power in Asia, industrially as well as politically.
Germany, one of four Typhoon customers, has ordered 180 aircraft. Earlier this year, lawmakers such as the Social Democrats’ Hans-Peter Bartels questioned the need to purchase all 180 jets. Fulfilling Germany’s portion of the Eurofighter contract, worth more than 20 billion euros ($24.7 billion), has been a matter of fierce debate in Berlin.
The Griephan Briefe newsletter on April 24 asked whether the move to sell Typhoons to India “was a means to forego Tranche 3 á la Anglaise.” It was referring to Britain’s deal with Saudi Arabia to sell aircraft to the kingdom from its own inventory of Typhoons. London has 232 aircraft on order with the Eurofighter consortium, based in Halbergmoos.
Eurofighter spokesman Wolfdietrich Hoeveler said the Indian government has not approached the company with an interest in the aircraft. He said India announced earlier this month a tender for fighters, and a request for information was to be issued this month.
“Our name had been mentioned as well, with regard to this possible tender,” Hoeveler said. “But so far, we haven’t received anything.”
He said Eurofighter Chief Executive Aloysius Rauen wrote a letter “several weeks ago” to Indian defense procurement authorities, saying his company would be happy to deliver a proposal for a fighter purchase. Hoeveler said the company is awaiting a response.
One analyst warned against high expectations of a potential tender.
“It would be great if they did buy Eurofighter, but expect a deal some time around 2025,” said the London-based aerospace analyst. “It shows that they don’t want to rely on the USA as sole suppliers of their fighter aircraft, especially because Pakistan flies the F-16.”
British experiences with the sale of the Hawk combat aircraft, which took many years to materialize, could make such a deal a lengthy issue, the analyst said.
A senior Indian Defence Ministry official in New Delhi said the ministry is in the process of floating a global tender for the procurement of 125 medium-range multirole combat aircraft, and all top manufacturers will be invited to participate in the bidding.
The official said the aircraft that meets the overall technical performance requirements at the best price will be short listed.
So far, only a request for information has been sent to SAAB for the Gripen fighter aircraft, Lockheed Martin for the F-16, Boeing for the F/A-18, Russia for MiG-29 and Dassault for the Mirage 2000-5.

Vivek Raghuvanshi contributed to this report from New Delhi.