$10bn Rafale deal not final yet: German leader

[ALOK31]

NEW DELHI: While not making any noise about India's decision to prefer the French Rafale fighter over Eurofighter Typhoon, Germany is still trying to negotiate with India for the over $10 billion medium-range multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal. Germany is one of the key nations behind the European consortium which has designed the Typhoon.

The deputy chief of the ruling CDU-led coalition's parliamentary committee in Bundestag (lower house of Parliament) for foreign and defence affairs, Andreas Schockenhoff, told TOI on Wednesday that the last word had not yet been heard on the MMRCA deal.

India and France are currently having "exclusive" talks over pricing and other issues for the 126-aircraft deal and the defence ministry maintains that there is no question of reviewing the decision to enter into negotiations with Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation.

"There have been discussions between German and Indian officials and I can say that this is not a closed book yet,'' said Schockenoff, a close aide of Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in India on a four-day visit.

"As far as I know, there is not yet a commercial order committed by the Indian government. The Eurofighter manufacturers are working again on the offer and this is a subject of negotiations between the European consortium and the Indian government,'' he added.

Schockenhoff met senior defence ministry officials, including minister of state for defence Pallam Raju, but said he had not raised the issue during his visit to India.

Interestingly, the comments by Schockenhoff come close on the heels of remarks by a Russian government spokesperson who said India was likely to refloat the tender as negotiations between India and France had failed. Russia's MiG-35 fighter jet too was part of the bid but lost in the preliminary stages.

Unlike as in the UK, another country associated with the Eurofighter where the reaction to India's decision bordered on the wild, the initial reaction in Germany was restrained. The government did say though that exclusive talks don't necessarily lead to actual sale.

The Eurofighter was said to have lost out to Rafale because of cost and expensive maintenance issues and also because of Rafale's similarities to the French Mirage 2000 fighters being used by the IAF.

$10bn Rafale deal not final yet: German leader - The Times of India

 

[tvsram1992]

they must not have irritated us by seizing our engines and military equipment .

 

[hitenray09]

1st Russia Now Germany waitning for the other MMRCA contenders to follow their suit ...........
Trolling was seen on forums but now nations are also into it keep trolling and drooling on MMRCA........... as it is now sour grapes for all..........

 

[Screambowl]

whether rafale or typhoon. Germany will be in profit both ways. 30+% share in Dassault is german.

 

[Gessler]

We just pulled up one of their mountaineers from the fingers of death in the Himalayas and
they return the favour by not honouring our desicion. Typhoon isn't the bird for India. 650 technical
parameters and over 60,000 pages of evaulation reports clarify that.

 

[arp2041]

The confidence with which the Russians, Germans & Britishers are saying that the Rafale deal may not go through is making me skeptic . Will the Rafale deal go through???

 

[INDIAISM]

The confidence with which they are talking.... It looks like their paid thugs are almost successful in canceling the Rafale.....

I think our IB and RAW should investigate this matter on priority bases and find out the names of the people in our govt who are working for these multinational companies by delaying Rafale deal......

 

[arp2041]

I think the UPA govt. will fall or there may be a revolt by IAF if the Rafale deal doesn't go through....

 

[graphican]

Look at the other side guys if you may, India would only go for any other platform if they increase their offer and make it lucrative even further. You won't be paying more than $12B but you might end up getting something which is worth more than $15B. Don't you agree?

 

[Bang Galore]

Typhoon isn't the bird for India. 650 technical
parameters and over 60,000 pages of evaulation reports clarify that.

It did fine on the evaluation front, didn't do so well on the price. The story that did the rounds was President Sarkozy offering something completely unrelated to this deal as a sweetener. Unless the new President Francois Hollande is backtracking on those commitments, the EF has no chance. If, however, there is some back tracking happening (doubt very much with the economies being what they are), it might well be the Rafale that gets the boot. Very small likelihood of that happening though.

 

[thestringshredder]

Jo bhi kharido lekin jaldi kharido haram khoro....

 

[ajtr]

Look at the other side guys if you may, India would only go for any other platform if they increase their offer and make it lucrative even further. You won't be paying more than $12B but you might end up getting something which is worth more than $15B. Don't you agree?

no india will go for the platform which will give highest cut in the deal to the corruptpolitician/bureaucrats/ gerneals/media lobbyists etc in the govt and forces.

 

[thestringshredder]

The deal was worth $20 bn...not $10 bn...

 

[Alphacharlie]

NEW DELHI: While not making any noise about India's decision to prefer the French Rafale fighter over Eurofighter Typhoon, Germany is still trying to negotiate with India for the over $10 billion medium-range multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal. Germany is one of the key nations behind the European consortium which has designed the Typhoon.

The deputy chief of the ruling CDU-led coalition's parliamentary committee in Bundestag (lower house of Parliament) for foreign and defence affairs, Andreas Schockenhoff, told TOI on Wednesday that the last word had not yet been heard on the MMRCA deal.

India and France are currently having "exclusive" talks over pricing and other issues for the 126-aircraft deal and the defence ministry maintains that there is no question of reviewing the decision to enter into negotiations with Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation.

"There have been discussions between German and Indian officials and I can say that this is not a closed book yet,'' said Schockenoff, a close aide of Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in India on a four-day visit.

"As far as I know, there is not yet a commercial order committed by the Indian government. The Eurofighter manufacturers are working again on the offer and this is a subject of negotiations between the European consortium and the Indian government,'' he added.

Schockenhoff met senior defence ministry officials, including minister of state for defence Pallam Raju, but said he had not raised the issue during his visit to India.

Interestingly, the comments by Schockenhoff come close on the heels of remarks by a Russian government spokesperson who said India was likely to refloat the tender as negotiations between India and France had failed. Russia's MiG-35 fighter jet too was part of the bid but lost in the preliminary stages.

Unlike as in the UK, another country associated with the Eurofighter where the reaction to India's decision bordered on the wild, the initial reaction in Germany was restrained. The government did say though that exclusive talks don't necessarily lead to actual sale.

The Eurofighter was said to have lost out to Rafale because of cost and expensive maintenance issues and also because of Rafale's similarities to the French Mirage 2000 fighters being used by the IAF.

$10bn Rafale deal not final yet: German leader - The Times of India

There is a Famous Saying "Jealousy is nothing more than a fear of Complete abandonment”

 

[Mosamania]

I give my sincere congratulations to Indian Air Force/Naval Air Arm (Who is suppose to operate these?).

You have entered the World's Guinness book for records for the most lengthy deal negotiations in Human History. (Meant as a joke do not mean to offend anybody).