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We have no problem with HAL: ERIC TRAPPIER Chairman and CEO , Dassault.
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We have no problem with HAL : Dassault Chairman and CEO
In Latest GEOPOLITICS Issue , Dassault Chairman and CEO ERIC TRAPPIER has given Interview and cleared some air after the reported break down of negotiations with Dassault on the $20-bil-lion (`1,05,000 cr approx.) deal to buy 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The French manufacturer told the Ministry of Defence that it would not be responsible for the 108 aircraft that HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) would produce. Infact, Dassault said that the government would have to sign separate contracts: one with Dassault for 18 fly-away aircraft and another with HAL, which will produce 108 jets under licence. Trappier, in fact was gung-ho about the deal and hoped it would go through by the end of this year. Excerpts:
The Mirage 2000 is now being refurbished successfully. How is it going?
We have signed (the agreement) two years ago; we are in the process of developing an upgraded Mirage. We have an Indian team with us. Then we will shift the work to HAL which will do the job in Bengaluru with the support of the team to start with. Then, they will do it by themselves.
You have a very good working relationship with HAL and the Indian Air Force?
Yes, you may say that, be-cause, I think, it has been along time that we have been working with the Indian Air
Force. You may know that our ?rst customer after the Second World War was India. We are proud that we have been able to develop with the people of India and to contribute to the ability to defend them-selves. So, it has been a very old relationship. Based on the capabilities of the Rafale and budgetary estimation by the Ministry of Defence, we have succeeded in the MMRCA competition.
Even the present Chief of the Indian Air Force has been a Mirage pilot.
Yes. I think the Mirage 2000 is one of the backbones of the defence system in India. It proved itself to be operational in the hands of the Indian Air Force pilots. And I am sure that the Government of India knows very well of the capabilities of the Mirage and what it did in the past. I think, the second matter is that we have always been supporting the Indian Air Force, in the best way we could, but we did it in a very transparent way. And I think IAF knows they can count on a company like Dassault.
Do you think the Libyan operations helped the Rafale?
I think, ?rst of all, India got the information based on the evaluation. You know the Rafale was evaluated like the other competitors in India and in different places in India. And the IAF knowing very well about the Mirage has been
able to ?y the Rafale in such a way that it could have a good knowhow and knowledge about the Rafale. I am sure the
combat report and demonstration of the Rafale in India is a good con?dence for those who want to buy it because it
has demonstrated itself to be really operational in all types of missions: at ground, rec-ognition, to see, thats some-thing which is seen by Indian defence capabilities.
So, how is your relationship with HAL, IAF? Thats why there s a bit of surprise at the developments where you have quesioned the capabilities of HAL?
Its quite normal because we have had a good working reationship with HAL mainly with the Mirage 2000. They were in charge of the Mirage 2000 in Bengaluru. Now we are in tough discussions because we are discussing the details or the work share, transfer of licence of air frames and engines. And this is taking time because when you speak about transfer, you have to speak about the job which has to be performed: who is doing what. And that is taking time
so we are not so much concerned by what the press is saying, So we are progressing.
The general perception that you have no confidence in HAL is, therefore, wrong?
Its wrong. We know HAL has certain capabilities. Its different from France, the standards are different. It is also not maybe something that is totally the samethe work done in India cannot be compared with the work done in France. What we are doing now is to understand how the job of manufacturing in France will be implemented in India in HAL. Maybe, there is a matter of time (in moving forward), as far as we are concerned, we have no problem with HAL. And HAL has been designated by the Government of India to be a lead production agency. So they are the leaders.
In effect, you want to say that the standards you follow in France must be replicated in India?
Yes.
So, you want to ensure that the quality should be maintained since post the first 18, all will be produced there.
Yes, correct
When do you think the deal will be signed?
Thats a most dif?cult question. Because I dont know (laughs) well, the sooner the better. But at least, we need to discussthe Government of India and Dassault, HAL is also involved, we have also partners involved in the licence. It is taking time. We try our best to go fast. And there is a huge team mobilised on the task on both sides. And I hope 2013 should be the year. We have a target for mid-2013, so this is the target. So, I think the more realistic (target) should be that it should signed before the end of the year.
You got the French Air Force and the Navy, and you got the Indian Air Force. Where else do you expect to sell the aircraft?
We have some better pros-pects in the Middle East, in South America, in ASEAN. So, there are a couple of countries which are very interested by the fact that they saw the results of the Rafale in Libya and in Mali. We may have some new coun-tries interested in the Rafale, because they are a bit disap-pointed by the US ?ghters like the F-35 which takes time to be developed, faces problems, has a very high cost and this could be the idea for others to join the family of Rafale.
Well, the Eurofighter team has its own questions of the Rafale as do many others.
Well, I would be unhappy if I failed. I am happy because I succeed. I expect them to be unhappy, but thats life. I think we have a better aircraft and it also (happened) to be less ex-pensive. Because this was the criteria, L1. According to the Indian Government, it had to be lowest. So, I think we got it because we had a good aircraft and we were L1. I think the Indian Government did a great job by having six competitors with countries like US, Russia,Britain, Germany and Italy. And they were able to organise a big competition, selection was a very transparent one and very clear in not too long a time for such an important project. It (has been) a good challenge and we are proud to work with India. So, I would say congratulations to them. But now we need to ?nalise, its the last step.
âWe have no problem with HALâ : Dassault Chairman and CEO | idrw.org
In Latest GEOPOLITICS Issue , Dassault Chairman and CEO ERIC TRAPPIER has given Interview and cleared some air after the reported break down of negotiations with Dassault on the $20-bil-lion (`1,05,000 cr approx.) deal to buy 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The French manufacturer told the Ministry of Defence that it would not be responsible for the 108 aircraft that HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) would produce. Infact, Dassault said that the government would have to sign separate contracts: one with Dassault for 18 fly-away aircraft and another with HAL, which will produce 108 jets under licence. Trappier, in fact was gung-ho about the deal and hoped it would go through by the end of this year. Excerpts:
The Mirage 2000 is now being refurbished successfully. How is it going?
We have signed (the agreement) two years ago; we are in the process of developing an upgraded Mirage. We have an Indian team with us. Then we will shift the work to HAL which will do the job in Bengaluru with the support of the team to start with. Then, they will do it by themselves.
You have a very good working relationship with HAL and the Indian Air Force?
Yes, you may say that, be-cause, I think, it has been along time that we have been working with the Indian Air
Force. You may know that our ?rst customer after the Second World War was India. We are proud that we have been able to develop with the people of India and to contribute to the ability to defend them-selves. So, it has been a very old relationship. Based on the capabilities of the Rafale and budgetary estimation by the Ministry of Defence, we have succeeded in the MMRCA competition.
Even the present Chief of the Indian Air Force has been a Mirage pilot.
Yes. I think the Mirage 2000 is one of the backbones of the defence system in India. It proved itself to be operational in the hands of the Indian Air Force pilots. And I am sure that the Government of India knows very well of the capabilities of the Mirage and what it did in the past. I think, the second matter is that we have always been supporting the Indian Air Force, in the best way we could, but we did it in a very transparent way. And I think IAF knows they can count on a company like Dassault.
Do you think the Libyan operations helped the Rafale?
I think, ?rst of all, India got the information based on the evaluation. You know the Rafale was evaluated like the other competitors in India and in different places in India. And the IAF knowing very well about the Mirage has been
able to ?y the Rafale in such a way that it could have a good knowhow and knowledge about the Rafale. I am sure the
combat report and demonstration of the Rafale in India is a good con?dence for those who want to buy it because it
has demonstrated itself to be really operational in all types of missions: at ground, rec-ognition, to see, thats some-thing which is seen by Indian defence capabilities.
So, how is your relationship with HAL, IAF? Thats why there s a bit of surprise at the developments where you have quesioned the capabilities of HAL?
Its quite normal because we have had a good working reationship with HAL mainly with the Mirage 2000. They were in charge of the Mirage 2000 in Bengaluru. Now we are in tough discussions because we are discussing the details or the work share, transfer of licence of air frames and engines. And this is taking time because when you speak about transfer, you have to speak about the job which has to be performed: who is doing what. And that is taking time
so we are not so much concerned by what the press is saying, So we are progressing.
The general perception that you have no confidence in HAL is, therefore, wrong?
Its wrong. We know HAL has certain capabilities. Its different from France, the standards are different. It is also not maybe something that is totally the samethe work done in India cannot be compared with the work done in France. What we are doing now is to understand how the job of manufacturing in France will be implemented in India in HAL. Maybe, there is a matter of time (in moving forward), as far as we are concerned, we have no problem with HAL. And HAL has been designated by the Government of India to be a lead production agency. So they are the leaders.
In effect, you want to say that the standards you follow in France must be replicated in India?
Yes.
So, you want to ensure that the quality should be maintained since post the first 18, all will be produced there.
Yes, correct
When do you think the deal will be signed?
Thats a most dif?cult question. Because I dont know (laughs) well, the sooner the better. But at least, we need to discussthe Government of India and Dassault, HAL is also involved, we have also partners involved in the licence. It is taking time. We try our best to go fast. And there is a huge team mobilised on the task on both sides. And I hope 2013 should be the year. We have a target for mid-2013, so this is the target. So, I think the more realistic (target) should be that it should signed before the end of the year.
You got the French Air Force and the Navy, and you got the Indian Air Force. Where else do you expect to sell the aircraft?
We have some better pros-pects in the Middle East, in South America, in ASEAN. So, there are a couple of countries which are very interested by the fact that they saw the results of the Rafale in Libya and in Mali. We may have some new coun-tries interested in the Rafale, because they are a bit disap-pointed by the US ?ghters like the F-35 which takes time to be developed, faces problems, has a very high cost and this could be the idea for others to join the family of Rafale.
Well, the Eurofighter team has its own questions of the Rafale as do many others.
Well, I would be unhappy if I failed. I am happy because I succeed. I expect them to be unhappy, but thats life. I think we have a better aircraft and it also (happened) to be less ex-pensive. Because this was the criteria, L1. According to the Indian Government, it had to be lowest. So, I think we got it because we had a good aircraft and we were L1. I think the Indian Government did a great job by having six competitors with countries like US, Russia,Britain, Germany and Italy. And they were able to organise a big competition, selection was a very transparent one and very clear in not too long a time for such an important project. It (has been) a good challenge and we are proud to work with India. So, I would say congratulations to them. But now we need to ?nalise, its the last step.
âWe have no problem with HALâ : Dassault Chairman and CEO | idrw.org
