Rafale Faces Global Scrutiny as France Pushes Back Against Combat Loss Claims
A high-stakes battle over modern airpower credibility France is defending the Rafale fighter’s global reputation after disputed combat-loss narratives linked to India-Pakistan tensions triggered worldwide debate over modern air combat effectiveness, missile technology, and future fighter procurement decisions. The Rafale fighter jet has become the center of an unusually intense global defense debate after renewed claims surrounding alleged aircraft losses during India-Pakistan aerial tensions pushed France’s flagship combat aircraft into the …
Who needs to down the FGFA?
There is a buzz in the air about New Delhi’s intentions of shooting down the 2007 agreement with Moscow for the joint development of fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) or at least put it on the hold to generate the funds for financing the Rafale deal with France. Under the estimated $20-30 billion mother-of-the-deals for the acquisition of 126 medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA), Dassault Aviation’s Rafale was picked as a stopgap measure to sustain the IAF’s strength in view of its depleting inventory caused by the phasing out…
The 'miscellaneous' blunder in India's Rafale deal
Dassault Aviation's Rafale won the bid to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft. The multi-billion dollar 'deal of the century' has since languished over price negotiations. Rahul Bedi explains how 'miscellaneous' factors have posed a major hurdle in negotiating the Rafale deal. There is a delicious, albeit hugely expensive, irony involving the ongoing negotiations to procure 126 Dassault Rafale fighters that, in some aspects, parallels the purchase of six French Scorpene submarines…
IAF can’t afford delay in Rafale deal : IAF Chief
Air chief marshal Arup Raha has said that it is critical to keep the $25 billion (Rs 1,50,000 crore) French Rafale fighter deal on schedule as the IAF cannot afford any more delays. Raha’s comments are significant as the Eurofighter consortium, backed by four European countries, is trying to re-enter the race to sell its Typhoon fighters to India. The Germany-led consortium has come up with a revised proposal -- sweetened with a discount -- to sell 126 Typhoons to India, despite losing the world’s biggest fighter contract to Dassault …
India: Diversifying Arms Purchases
India needs to diversify its arms imports. Although it is one of the world’s largest arms importers, most of India’s weapons come from Russia. Over the last five years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia accounted for about $15 billion of the $20 billion in arms that India imported, or about three-quarters. That level of dependence is unhealthy: One of the reasons why India bought the Jaguar Bomber from a European consortium in the 1970s was the concern that India was becoming dependent o…
UK still hopeful of fighter jet deal with India
In the second week of July, Britain is likely to send in Foreign Secretary William Hague and finance minister George Osborne, a British government source said on Friday. Britain has drawn some cheer from the slow progress of the negotiations for the Rafale deal. The Eurofighter Typhoon was shortlisted along with the Dassault fighter before India announced the French jet was the winner. Cost escalations and disagreements about building the Rafale in partnership with India's state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited have complicate…
"BrahMos-M" set for a debut in 2017
Russia and India are currently working on the development of a smaller version of the supersonic cruise missile "BrahMos", which could be commissioned in the Indian army by 2017, said Sivathanu Pillai, President of "BrahMos Aerospace, talking to ITAR-Tass. In order to mount the missiles on fighter jets, the weight of the warheads needed to be reduced, and the mini version called “BrahMos-M” will be suitable for the same. The new BrahMos-M will be modified to be used on IAF’s upgraded Mig-29 and Mig-29k. There are plans …
Qatar, Kuwait & UAE to follow India's lead over purchase of Rafale
Qatar, Kuwait & UAE are interested in buying French Rafale fighter jets but are waiting to see whether India will make a purchase first, France's defence minister said yesterday. "They are in effect interested but they won't know for sure until the first one jumps in," said the minister, Gerard Longuet. He said he hoped that the UAE, which is talks with France to buy 60 Rafales, would make a decision "within a time frame that will allow its two neighbours, which hope to be interoperable with the Emirates, to …
India, France to go for joint production of military hardware
With the 126 fighter deal in the pipeline, India and France today set out on a course of long-term strategic cooperation with the latter offering to move on from client-seller relationship to joint production of military hardware. With the 126 fighter deal in the pipeline, India and France today set out on a course of long-term strategic cooperation with the latter offering to move on from client-seller relationship to joint production of military hardware which could be exported to other countries. The two countries held detailed di…
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