Make F16s and Sell it to Pakistan. France taunting India while Rafale deal weakens further

[Stephen Cohen]

The F-16V, the Newest Version of the Iconic Fighter, Takes Flight

 

[Stephen Cohen]

If F-16 E/F are selected then it could be that Pakistan gets the French Rafale.
This would be a dream come true for PAF...PAF would be 1 up.

If India cannot afford the Rafale ; then how can Pakistan

 

[nana41]

French side needs buyers & it's our money..So French has most to lose..We have enough options..This is just a battle cry..

Both France and India tried to out smart each other.My guess is India will go for Boeing F-18,since most of the software $s are coming from U S A and US Govt is thinking of sacking big number of Indian" computer coolies "and also putting an end to out sourcing the American jobs.

 

[ACE OF THE AIR]

Please share with us what you know
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@Windjammer If we buy F 16 It will be The BEST One Block 60 or F 16 V

APG 83 AESA ; AIM 9 X ; AIM 120 D ; and the best EW suite available

Ohh so you think that is the best configuration for F-16's.

 

[Laozi]

It seems French have finally shown Indians their real ''okaat'' ..............

Okaat is a relative term and both, buyer and seller can use it to denounce each other !!!

 

[asad71]

O

French official taunts: “Build F-16s in India and supply it to Pakistan”

By Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 17th Mar 16

Paris is beginning to acknowledge the possibility that India might not buy the Rafale fighter because of sharp differences over the price, and New Delhi’s insistence on enforceable guarantees regarding the fighter’s delivery, performance and availability.

A senior French official with a close view of the on-going negotiations between New Delhi and Paris for 36 Rafale fighters told Business Standard: “If some people in the MoD do not want to allow the Rafale deal to go through, so be it. We are currently building it for Egypt and Qatar, and we could have another customer in Malaysia.”

Underlining the irritation at repeated US offers to set up an assembly line in India to build the American F-16 Super Viper, the French official taunted: “If you don’t want the Rafale, go ahead and build the F-16 here. You can build it in India and supply it to Pakistan also.”

He was referring to Washington’s announcement last month of the sale to Pakistan of eight advanced Block 50/52 F-16 fighters for $699 million. Simultaneously, a senior Lockheed Martin official had publicly offered to “move our [F-16] production line from the US to India.”

Reminded that France too was supplying submarines to both India and Pakistan (DCNS is building six Scorpenes submarines with Mazagon Dock, after earlier selling Pakistan three advanced Agosta-90B submarines with air independent propulsion), he retorted, “That is different. Pakistan is getting a different submarine from what we are providing to India.”

The official dismissed the notion that an Indian order was critical for Dassault to break even in the Rafale project, in which tens of billion Euros have been spent on developing the fighter and establishing a production line. The official claimed, “The Rafale project is commercially viable based on the numbers that the French military requires, even if there is not a single export order.”

In fact, defence budget cuts have forced the French military to slash Rafale orders from over 300 originally planned to just 180 ordered so far. That is a small order, given that the Eurofighter Typhoon has over 700 aircraft on order; while more than 4,500 F-16s have been built over the years.

On New Delhi’s demands for sovereign guarantees from the French government, or a bank guarantee from Dassault, to cover the possibility of delivery or performance shortfalls in the Rafale, the official declared that the two countries would soon sign an inter-governmental agreement (IGA), which would function as a sovereign guarantee.

“The government of France is standing behind the sale. Surely India is not asking for a bank guarantee when it has the word of the French government?” asked the official.

When it was pointed out that the IGA would only outline a supply agreement in broad terms, without detailed binding clauses and penalties, the official responded that the IGA was a strategic agreement between Paris and New Delhi, and that “a phrase here or a sentence there would make no difference.”

“In 1917, when the United States abandoned its isolationism and sent a division of troops to France to fight in World War I, it was not because there was some document with a clause that required them to fight. It was because of a common strategic aim. New Delhi and Paris must have a common strategic aim on the Rafale.”

French officials argue that, if Dassault is required to provide a bank guarantee against possible shortfalls in delivery and performance, India should cover that cost, which is normally 3-4 per cent of the guarantee amount.

Meanwhile, the Cost Negotiation Committee on the Rafale has made little headway in bridging the gap between the French demand and Indian counter-offer, which are believed to be around Euro 12 billion and Euro 9 billion respectively. Issues of liability are further complicating the likelihood of a deal soon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while visiting Paris last April, had requested for 36 Rafales, after a breakdown in negotiations for a much larger order for 126 Rafales. The Indian Air Force had chosen the Rafale on January 31, 2012, after an exhaustive evaluation of six fighter aircraft.

Broadsword: India may not buy Rafale: French official

f course they will not. Otherwise who is going to buy that rubbish called F-35?

 

[Tipu7]

Qatar confirms the order before India and as per unconfirmed reports in that case even if India now confirms the deal France will not able to provide 36 Jets till 2022 until the deliveries of Qatar complete. So till 2022 bye bye Rafale

Interestingly Malaysia and even KSA (72 Rafales!) are showing interest ...........................
I guess 2030 tk to pke Rafale aa jain ge IAF main

 

[punit]

New DM is same as old DM !

 

[Imran Khan]

look like french got tired and bored from MMRCA soap opera

 

[cerberus]

@Stephen Cohen
If go DM MP statements he clearly mentioned that the Funds are cleared for Rafale Sale by Mod in FY 2016
Adequate funds kept for Rafale deal: Manohar Parrikar | Business Standard Mobile Website

As for this BS article you can easily differenciate
How un-diplomatic its sounds specially the one liner's

No sane or professional official or Diplomat will use such unprofessional language for friendly countries.specially one like India and France

If you correctly analyse that the author clearly has agenda on his mind for anti govt line.

 

[Indika]

Viper, the French official taunted: “If you don’t want the Rafale, go ahead and build the F-16 here. You can build it in India and supply it to Pakistan also.”

As long as India makes money out of it no problem with it. There is nothing much pakistan did with nukes and few more f16s is not going to make difference.
On the one hand stmt ridicules India but on the other hand shows sheer desperation to get the contract. With americans snapping at their heels they know if they dont wrap it up they will be on the losing side.

Simultaneously, a senior Lockheed Martin official had publicly offered to “move our [F-16] production line from the US to India.”

“That is different. Pakistan is getting a different submarine from what we are providing to India.”

Americans will provide f16 to pakistan and french the subs but they expect India to buy their goods with eyes closed.Neither of them deserve the contract from strategic point of view.

It was because of a common strategic aim. New Delhi and Paris must have a common strategic aim on the Rafale.”

Strategic aim? BS , translates to we aim to make more money from both the idiots.

Some one should slap India hard and let them know that there is no substitution to indigenous system. India spends billions of dollars on buying goods from outside but invests peanuts in R&D. Lotus eaters deserve the rap.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Cash Cow turnsout Mad Cow

 

[cerberus]

As long as India makes money out of it no problem with it. There is nothing much pakistan did with nukes and few more f16s is not going to make difference.
On the one hand stmt ridicules India but on the other hand shows sheer desperation to get the contract. With americans snapping at their heels they know if they dont wrap it up they will be on the losing side.



Americans will provide f16 to pakistan and french the subs but they expect India to buy their goods with eyes closed.Neither of them deserve the contract from strategic point of view.


Strategic aim? BS , translates to we aim to make more money from both the idiots.

Some one should slap India hard and let them know that there is no substitution to indigenous system. India spends billions of dollars on buying goods from outside but invests peanuts in R&D. Lotus eaters deserve the rap.

I have dought that a professional french official will make such un-diplomatic quotes

The source is anonymous as always it just sensational fictional write-up by author

 

[C130]

that was a sick burn, but let's say India did take the deal to build and buy F-16s....they would be getting the most advance F-16s to date, and along with the most advance sidewinder Aim-9X...It would give India the advantage in a dogfight.

but I have heard Pakistan have some of the best F-16 pilots, so it would be a close.

 

[Kompromat]

France will be regretting the $2 Billion it didn't get from Pakistan for radars and avionics for the JF-17 Block-II.