Hey Sancho!
Thanks for that comprehensive answer, mate!
You are right on the too French sided part but it just had to be as it was the premise of the "exercise". Abingdonboy had asked me for my "view on M_MMRca according to my Flag!!" in the ATLC video thread? So that yes, I was answering mostly from that perspective.
In the same light, I did not feel compelled to address the situation in France, A- because that is not related to India's MMRCA but strictly an internal French problem and that would indeed have been too one sided? ( Don't blame me for one thing and its contrary in the same sentence, now, please?
) and B- because I posted on that very subject on my blog which some here are familiar with and have read in a piece that is called :
Jet fighters : Why France should thank India. | Definitive Lapse of Reason so that it was not needed to repeat.
You are totally right on the 1995 part. I did not mean 1995 as necessarily a competition but went to re-read my post and darn, I did write it so' duh! So I'll correct that but really meant to say addressing the Sq numbers and yes, extra orders such as you mentioned would have done the job fine for IAF ( had they been placed, of course ).
Your following point however, I did include. Yes, the LCA & MRCA were to co-exist and yes, it is the morphing into M_MRCA that changed the game. I am glad that you still agree on the importance of the delay in that/those competition(s).
Your point on Dassault's stand is in my honest opinion wrong however but mostly because you separated the idea and added to it. Let me explain. On the M2K upgrade, you disregard the fact that Dassault has no production line for that plane anymore. Which implies that it does the integration example and kits only? In the Rafale case however, the line in France could provide all 20/y Indian planes + the French present 11. That line is calibrated for 33 AC/Year. ( And besides the French order will go down as export ramps up ). The MMRCA conditions do not allow that but I'm just saying it could be done.
As for the planes built by HAL, the dual contract did make some sense considering the differences it implied. It seems the negotiators cleared that up however and that there will be only one which is fine.
On the Tata thing however, you forgot two things.
One is that I mentioned : "while I am not enough of an expert on India to properly debate the value of Reliance Industries per say...". On that basis, I accept your explanation of course but...
Two is that what you suggest is NOT acceptable in industry, period. Just as the Indian govt has every right to force Dassault to comply to the MMRCA deal by partnering with the PUBLIC outfit that is HAL, it has no right to force a
private deal with a given company over another. Trust me please when I say that I have two good close friends in top positions in two different companies/fields of industry, both firms in the top 3 worldwide and they confirmed this to be unacceptable. The implications for the corporation would have wide ranging effects that could endanger their whole business plan for years. Indian forumers may have opinions regarding Tata or other vs RIL but these are just opinions. Your call that Dassault chose Reliance only for the money is laden with gall and presumption. My understanding as explained in my post was that Dassault wanted to partner with Reliance for trust issues. Even not being Indian, my knowledge of industrial markets/matters is more than enough to state that RIL has shown the ability to develop expertise in fields it was previously unqualified in and obtain excellent results in time and mostly on dime! THAT is the reason why Dassault would pick them. BTW, do check that the partnership for a JV was announced in 2012 :
Dassault Aviation Partners with Reliance Industries » Indian Defence Review
and this is the latest which states HAL as main OVER that JV ( Feb 2013 ) :
HAL will be `main partner` in Rafale aircraft deal: Dassault
Dassault by the way also has other JVs in India including Catia design work and integration. I hope you know that CATIA is the aviation industry's ( and many others ) most respected and used tool worldwide?
3D CAD design software CATIA - Dassault Systèmes
Airbus , Kelsey-Hayes ,
Boeing,
Lear Jet , BMW, Volvo, Black and Decker, Fiat Peugeot,
Northrop Grumman Corp, Ferrari,
Lockheed Martin , Porsche , Daimler Chrysler, Goodyear, Freightliner Truck , Allied Signal , Sauber Formula,Volkswagen,
Pratt Whitney, United Airlines, Toyota, Hyundai , Ford, Mercedes-Benz , Honda ...
So if Indian fanboys think they know better than the corps listed above, heck let them think so?
But please, don't tell the avia corps ( underlined ) about your point on Bad Dassault going for buck only since they apparently trust them and would likely disagree?
Once again, Sancho, I do understand the emotional points of view but they just cannot be mixed with industrial reality and I do want the best for the IAF but straight to it and not bypassed by preference or corruption? That is all that I said in that post!
Heck, if Dassault had trusted and chosen Tata... all would be fine but it was not so? I do not have the infos to judge their reasons and neither do you!
As for your last point, the revised MMRCA delivery specifications were not termed by year anymore but as months following contract signature. As such, your claim of 2015 as an expected delivery date means nothing. So that if you use it in opposition to mine on the initial RFP's basis, we are both wrong.
Press Information Bureau English Releases on 28 Aug 2007, the RFP was issued. If the trials had been held within 2 years, the decision taken within one and the contract signed in one also then it would have been 2011?
The first of the 18 import batch is to get to India 36 months after signature at the latest and the last 48 months at the latest.
What that implies is that if the contract is signed say on January first 2014, the first Rafale could get to the IAF in late December 2016 ( effectively 2017 )??? By Jove, under such rules, if the contract breaks down in 2014 and goes to the second vendor ( EF ) and takes but a single year to be signed, the new date would fall to 2018-9? Of course all planes would be fully developed by then, God forbid the contrary even outside the MMRCA's scope?
I'd rather see it as implied that the fighters were to be
ready for induction 36 months after the trials at minima if only for the IAF's sake and that comes to 2013 instead. And the Rafale line is now churning out AESA fighters, QED!
That is only an opinion but again to favor the IAF itself? The fighters BTW were supposed to be fully tried in India and special derogation was awarded for the said AESA ( as an example ) on the Gripen, remember, which saw Indian experts go to Sweden? I have no qualms against that at all as it seems again to be in the IAF's best interests? It still shows my last presumption that the trials ( already delayed by the lengthy process ) were the best date in the whole affair to judge availability by?
So there you go, mate. I hope these counter points to be clear and wish you and all a good day, Tay.