Dassault Rafale, tender | News & Discussions

[RPK]

Rafale Flown By Indian And French Air Force Chief Together Rajasthan

 

[sancho]

Studying Eurofighter Typhoon Missiles To Give Maritime Attack Capability

Eurofighter is looking at giving the Typhoon a maritime attack capability and is investigating at least three missiles to meet potential requirements for export, according to the executive leading Boeing Defense and Space Combat Aircraft sales effort.
At least two of Typhoon's current export targets are requesting a maritime attack capability. Peter Maute, the head of combat aircraft sales at Boeing Defence, said the Boeing Harpoon and MBDA's Marte and Sea Brimstone missiles were being considered as possibilities for the European multi-role combat jet...

...Qatar and Malaysia are known to have stipulated a maritime-strike capability for their next purchase of combat jets...

Eurofighter Studying Missiles To Give Typhoon Maritime Attack Capability | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[atlssa]

French Mirage jet fighter crashes in Niger
France - Mali - Niger - Article published the Tuesday 10 June 2014 - Latest update : Tuesday 10 June 2014
By RFI

A French Mirage fighter jet has crashed in Niger on its return from a mission in Mali. The crew of two suffered no injuries, according to the French military.

Mirage 2000 jets on a base in Corsica - Reuters​

The Mirage 2000D crashed half way between Gao in the restive north of Mali and the Niger capital Niamey, where France has a military base.

"The crew was forced to eject following a technical failure," said French military spokesperson Gilles Jaron. "The pilot and navigator were retrieved safe and sound."

The plane, worth several millions euros, is one of six fighter jets being used by the French army in the region.

French troops were sent to Mali in January 2013 after an alliance of Tuareg separatists and Islamists took control of the north.
Defence Minister Jeran-Yves Le Drian last month announced that France will deploy 3,000 troops in the region to fight Islamist and other armed groups.

French Mirage jet fighter crashes in Niger - France - Mali - Niger - RFI

 

[sancho]

@Oscar

If you have some time to spare and it is possible to do it, can you make some new renders of this Eurofighter concept and replace the Storm Shadow missiles with Brahmos M?

For the record, some of Oscar's earlier renders:

Dassault Rafale, tender | News & Discussions | Page 550

Indian Air Force News & Discussions | Page 118

 

[SQ8]

@Oscar

If you have some time to spare and it is possible to do it, can you make some new renders of this Eurofighter concept and replace the Storm Shadow missiles with Brahmos M?

For the record, some of Oscar's earlier renders:

Dassault Rafale, tender | News & Discussions | Page 550

Indian Air Force News & Discussions | Page 118

There will be no renders, but Ill try adding a moskit on the Storm shadow pylon.
See where that goes.

 

[SQ8]

@sancho Will this do for the time being?

Brahmos, AGM-84D, Paveway , Litening and A2A load as well.

 

[sancho]

@sancho Will this do for the time being?

Brahmos, AGM-84D, Paveway , Litening and A2A load as well.

Nice, thanks! Always good to see your work, so please add more when you have time. Maybe with CFTs, METEOR and Brahmos only!

 

[SQ8]

Nice, thanks! Always good to see your work, so please add more when you have time. Maybe with CFTs, METEOR and Brahmos only!

The CFTs are being a pain, so for the time being you're going to have to make do with this.

 

[Mike_Brando]

Indeed, but the issue they are referring to is raising defence spending to 2% of GDP or even that one off 25% hike he had suggested. It doesn't specifically relate to the MMRCA deal and there is no questioning of not being able to pay for it this year.

I would love to see the defense budget increased to at least 3% of the GDP.Every powerful country on earth(U.S.,Russia,China) spends more than 3% of their GDP in Defense but India despite being surrounded by two "potential" adversaries is spending only 1.75% of our GDP(excluding all the pension benifits for the retired personnel) which is totally unacceptable for a country as large as India.I hope the situation changes with the appointment of the new Govt..We need a defense budget of at least $70 billion for our Armed forces...

 

[meena24]

I would love to see the defense budget increased to at least 3% of the GDP.Every powerful country on earth(U.S.,Russia,China) spends more than 3% of their GDP in Defense but India despite being surrounded by two "potential" adversaries is spending only 1.75% of our GDP(excluding all the pension benifits for the retired personnel) which is totally unacceptable for a country as large as India.I hope the situation changes with the appointment of the new Govt..We need a defense budget of at least $70 billion for our Armed forces...

Yes your statement is absolutely right, we need to Increase our defence Budget.

a) we have to finalize Dassault Rafale deal as soon as possible? can any one tell when it will be signed?

Signing Dassault Rafale will completely give a edge us over Pakistan in arms race, Pakistan will be forced to restrict its funding on counter Insurgency and will be forced to buy more expensive jets and tanks.

We also need to buy M777 Artillery guns.

Also If possible we need to look a foreign fighter jet to replace our ageing Mig-21's and Mig-27 , I am not sure when HAL Tejas is going to be Inducted.

Last time when I placed my proposal, such as Gripen or Mig-35 as Interim replacement. Mr. Sancho has told that they are not in Production and only prototypes have been built.

This much delay in HAL Tejas is not at all acceptable.

 

[sancho]

can any one tell when it will be signed?

Rumored to be signed at the end of this, or early next year

Also If possible we need to look a foreign fighter jet to replace our ageing Mig-21's and Mig-27

That's what MMRCA is about.

Last time when I placed my proposal, such as Gripen or Mig-35 as Interim replacement. Mr. Sancho has told that they are not in Production and only prototypes have been built.

Not sure when we had this discussion, but that still remains a fact!

 

[atlssa]

Rafale contract elusive, Eurofighter and Saab remain hopeful
Saab believes co-developing Tejas Mark II would end need for Rafale

Ajai Shukla | New Delhi
June 17, 2014 Last Updated at 00:15 IST

More than two years after India's ministry of defence (MoD) chose to buy 126 Dassault Rafale fighters for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the world's biggest fighter contract swings in the wind. With no deal in sight after 28 months of haggling with Dassault, two of the losing vendors -Eurofighter and Saab - believe they could yet come out tops.

Eurofighter GmbH, whose Typhoon fighter narrowly lost out to the Rafale, still retains a senior executive in New Delhi. This is to allow Eurofighter - the official runner-up - to quickly step in should negotiations with Dassault collapse.

Swedish company, Saab, whose Gripen-D light fighter was evaluated but not selected, similarly believes the contract remains open. Saab places hope in a proposal that it formulated with the Defence Research and Developments Organisation (DRDO) to co-develop and co-manufacture the improved Tejas Mark II Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). This affordable, indigenous, single-engine fighter could be built in numbers, providing the IAF a more economical and effective option than limited numbers of enormously expensive, twin-engine Rafales.

Saab believes that a successful Tejas Mark II would erode the need for the Rafale. The Swedish company has offered co-development and co-manufacture of the Tejas Mark II, even whilst fielding the cheapest and most economical fighter of the six in the fray.

s IAF officers confirm, India had intended to buy a cheap, light fighter to replace the IAF's MiG-21s as they were phased out of service. In late 2004, IAF sent out a "request for information", to four manufacturers of small, cheap fighters - the Russian MiG-29; the American F-16; the French Mirage-2000-5, and the Saab Gripen.

Only in August 2007, when IAF issued a formal tender - termed "request for proposal", or RfP - were expensive, twin-engine fighters like the Eurofighter, Rafale and F/A-18 regarded as options. Today, with the economy stuttering, the daunting prospect of paying Rs 1,00,000 crore for 126 fighters could mean that low cost becomes decisive.

Saab sees further advantage in backing the indigenous horse, the Tejas Mark II. The Swedish company claims it is best suited for upgrading the Tejas Mark I, since it is currently upgrading the Gripen-D by fitting a new engine, the General Electric F-414 power pack. Upgrading the Tejas Mark I to Mark II specifications involves exactly the same upgrade.

Last DRDO chief, Dr V K Saraswat, was convinced that Saab's assistance would be ideal for the Tejas programme. In 2012, DRDO sent Saab a "Request for Information" asking a rough estimate of costs, which Saab duly submitted.

In Jan 2013, DRDO followed up with a RfP, asking for technical and financial bids for Saab to jointly audit the Tejas design with DRDO. Saab had proposed an eight-10 month long audit, after which a fresh design would be finalised and a manufacturing line established.

MoD sources tell Business Standard that Saab proposed in 2011 to co-develop the Tejas Mark II and roll it out from a new manufacturing line within five years. Saab wanted at least 51 per cent ownership of the joint venture company that built the new Tejas, to be free of government controls and procedures.

By May 2013, a joint design contract seemed imminent, says Saab. But on June 1, a new DRDO chief, Dr Avinash Chander, took charge and Saab was unofficially told that DRDO could not co-develop the Tejas with a foreign company without an international tender to select the partner.

Contacted for comments, a DRDO spokesperson told Business Standard that design work on the Tejas Mark II is proceeding satisfactorily without a foreign partner.

In fact, MoD sources admit the Tejas Mark II programme faces significant design challenges beyond merely fitting a new engine. The Tejas Mark I was not designed with operational availability in mind, with important systems placed in inaccessible places that take time for technicians to reach. The Gripen-D, in contrast, requires just five man-hours of maintenance for an hour of flying. (The figure for the Tejas is not available, but the Rafale is estimated to require 15 man-hours).

Furthermore, the new F-414 engine would require the Tejas' length to be increased by half a metre. In addition, experts say the air intakes will have to be redesigned, since they do not allow in sufficient air for even the F-404 engine, far less the more powerful F-414 that will be fitted.

Aerospace analysts acknowledge Saab's expertise in building economical and effective fighters. The Gripen-D costs half as much as a Rafale. International expert, Jane's, puts the operating cost of a Gripen at $4,700 per flight hour, while flying a Rafale for an hour costs $15,000.

Rafale contract elusive, Eurofighter and Saab remain hopeful | Business Standard


@sancho Your inputs are needed here. Please!

 

[rockstarIN]

Rafale contract elusive, Eurofighter and Saab remain hopeful
Saab believes co-developing Tejas Mark II would end need for Rafale

Ajai Shukla | New Delhi
June 17, 2014 Last Updated at 00:15 IST

More than two years after India's ministry of defence (MoD) chose to buy 126 Dassault Rafale fighters for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the world's biggest fighter contract swings in the wind. With no deal in sight after 28 months of haggling with Dassault, two of the losing vendors -Eurofighter and Saab - believe they could yet come out tops.

Eurofighter GmbH, whose Typhoon fighter narrowly lost out to the Rafale, still retains a senior executive in New Delhi. This is to allow Eurofighter - the official runner-up - to quickly step in should negotiations with Dassault collapse.

Swedish company, Saab, whose Gripen-D light fighter was evaluated but not selected, similarly believes the contract remains open. Saab places hope in a proposal that it formulated with the Defence Research and Developments Organisation (DRDO) to co-develop and co-manufacture the improved Tejas Mark II Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). This affordable, indigenous, single-engine fighter could be built in numbers, providing the IAF a more economical and effective option than limited numbers of enormously expensive, twin-engine Rafales.

Saab believes that a successful Tejas Mark II would erode the need for the Rafale. The Swedish company has offered co-development and co-manufacture of the Tejas Mark II, even whilst fielding the cheapest and most economical fighter of the six in the fray.

s IAF officers confirm, India had intended to buy a cheap, light fighter to replace the IAF's MiG-21s as they were phased out of service. In late 2004, IAF sent out a "request for information", to four manufacturers of small, cheap fighters - the Russian MiG-29; the American F-16; the French Mirage-2000-5, and the Saab Gripen.

Only in August 2007, when IAF issued a formal tender - termed "request for proposal", or RfP - were expensive, twin-engine fighters like the Eurofighter, Rafale and F/A-18 regarded as options. Today, with the economy stuttering, the daunting prospect of paying Rs 1,00,000 crore for 126 fighters could mean that low cost becomes decisive.

Saab sees further advantage in backing the indigenous horse, the Tejas Mark II. The Swedish company claims it is best suited for upgrading the Tejas Mark I, since it is currently upgrading the Gripen-D by fitting a new engine, the General Electric F-414 power pack. Upgrading the Tejas Mark I to Mark II specifications involves exactly the same upgrade.

Last DRDO chief, Dr V K Saraswat, was convinced that Saab's assistance would be ideal for the Tejas programme. In 2012, DRDO sent Saab a "Request for Information" asking a rough estimate of costs, which Saab duly submitted.

In Jan 2013, DRDO followed up with a RfP, asking for technical and financial bids for Saab to jointly audit the Tejas design with DRDO. Saab had proposed an eight-10 month long audit, after which a fresh design would be finalised and a manufacturing line established.

MoD sources tell Business Standard that Saab proposed in 2011 to co-develop the Tejas Mark II and roll it out from a new manufacturing line within five years. Saab wanted at least 51 per cent ownership of the joint venture company that built the new Tejas, to be free of government controls and procedures.

By May 2013, a joint design contract seemed imminent, says Saab. But on June 1, a new DRDO chief, Dr Avinash Chander, took charge and Saab was unofficially told that DRDO could not co-develop the Tejas with a foreign company without an international tender to select the partner.

Contacted for comments, a DRDO spokesperson told Business Standard that design work on the Tejas Mark II is proceeding satisfactorily without a foreign partner.

In fact, MoD sources admit the Tejas Mark II programme faces significant design challenges beyond merely fitting a new engine. The Tejas Mark I was not designed with operational availability in mind, with important systems placed in inaccessible places that take time for technicians to reach. The Gripen-D, in contrast, requires just five man-hours of maintenance for an hour of flying. (The figure for the Tejas is not available, but the Rafale is estimated to require 15 man-hours).

Furthermore, the new F-414 engine would require the Tejas' length to be increased by half a metre. In addition, experts say the air intakes will have to be redesigned, since they do not allow in sufficient air for even the F-404 engine, far less the more powerful F-414 that will be fitted.

Aerospace analysts acknowledge Saab's expertise in building economical and effective fighters. The Gripen-D costs half as much as a Rafale. International expert, Jane's, puts the operating cost of a Gripen at $4,700 per flight hour, while flying a Rafale for an hour costs $15,000.

Rafale contract elusive, Eurofighter and Saab remain hopeful | Business Standard


@sancho Your inputs are needed here. Please!

The usual Ajay Shukla rants nothing else..!

like DRDO(?) says LCA-MK2 is on process satisfactorily whereas MoD admits it has got design challenges!!

 

[sancho]

Rafale contract elusive, Eurofighter and Saab remain hopeful
Saab believes co-developing Tejas Mark II would end need for Rafale

@sancho Your inputs are needed here. Please!

As @rockstarIN correctly said, it's just another classic of Ajay Shukla.

The article is full of mistakes and baseless claims, that guy has zero idea about IAF matters, but sadly gets his space in the Indian media (for reasons that I simply don't understand), so just ignore it.

 

[rockstarIN]

As @rockstarIN correctly said, it's just another classic of Ajay Shukla.

The article is full of mistakes and baseless claims, that guy has zero idea about IAF matters, but sadly gets his space in the Indian media (for reasons that I simply don't understand), so just ignore it.

The concern is that his article publishes mostly in Business Standard, and the readers of that is mostly high class.