i am crossposting it from another blog.. Prasun Sengupta was queried by a blogger abt this whole new MMRCA 2.0 and this is his reply..
Prasun, which of the following is the most likely reason for the new RFP for building 90 MMRCA category fighter jets in India ?
(1) That the price negotiations for the off-the-shelf purchase of 36 Rafales have run into rough weather and doomed to fail. This new RFP is a safety-net/fall-back option, should the 36 Rafales not pan out.
(2) This RFP is a scare-crow erected by the MoD to put pressure on the French consortium to submit to Indian demands on a G-2-G deal that involves purchasing 36 off-the-shelf and building an additional number in India in partnership with private Indian industry player/players.
(3) The MoD and the IAF have truly given up on the Rafales and are seriously looking at doing a new bid to facilitate procuring an alternative to the former such as the Eurofighter Typhoon or the Saab Jas-39 E/F aircraft in lieu of the Rafale.
It's rather confusing to say the least. Would appreciate your thoughts on the same please.
August 3, 2015 at 2:21 AM
Prasun K. Sengupta said...
It is none of the above. Trouble is the ‘desi’ journalists are an inept lot & can’t give any perspective.
The RFP is for the selection of an Indian vendor or a consortium of vendors that will be selected for teaming up with Dassault Aviation for licence-building the 90 Rafales after the first 36 have already arrived from France.
August 3, 2015 at 5:08 AM
@Abingdonboy @SpArK @MilSpec
So if we do go by Prasun's words, the RFP is for Rafale MII campaign.. and if 30 Bn cost is there then its for the TOT+initial infrastructure+training+lifetime cost+weapons package perhaps...
Interestingly, wish if we could really understand what were the price of such detailed components In MMRCA which was scrapped versus this new RFP..
Whats the difference and whats the justification of cost (i am sure time value of money principal states that MMRCA original cost even with TOT would be less versus this new one) and time lost..
May be also understand whats really the TOT which all these tenders are really talking about..i mean what really comprises of the TOT (fineprint of course)..