Arabian Aerospace - D-Days for Rafale
So 96 Rafale F2 was offered for 6 billions, which are $7.39 billions at todays exchange rate.
Source Reteurs --
PARIS, April 15 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has reached a memorandum of understanding with France to buy 48 Rafale aircraft from Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) , with an option for a further 48, French business daily Les Echos said on Friday.
The deal for the multi-role fighters, estimated to be worth up to 6 billion euros ($7.72 billion), could be finalised by the end of the year, the newspaper said.
Source Bloomberg --
April 15 (Bloomberg) -- Dassault Aviation SA shares rose as
much as 4.2 percent after Les Echos reported Saudi Arabia is
planning an order for as many as 96 of the company's Rafale combat
jets. Dassault denied the report.
Shares of Paris-based Dassault rose as much as 21 euros to 525
euros and were up 1.2 percent at 510 euros as of 10:54 a.m. in
Paris. Only 4 percent of Dassault stock is publicly traded. The
Dassault family controls 50.2 percent of the shares and European
Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co. owns 46 percent.
Saudi Arabia agreed to buy 48 Rafales, with options for another
48 planes, from Dassault for about 6 billion euros, Les Echos
reported today. The project would mark Dassault's first foreign
sale of Rafale jets. Dassault didn't confirm the report.
I would say these sources are much better and proven....arab news seems to have messed up the numbers just like the Indian media.
Also if that would not be true, than how come that the 72 EFs, that Saudi Arabia finally bought, costed 4.43 pound, which was $8.86 billions at that time?
Saudis Pay 4.43 Billion Pounds for 72 Eurofighters (Update5) - Bloomberg
As you can see, numbers indeed makes a difference!
Good question ...I dont know the answer. But what i can do is guess from published reports -->
1) Rafale is considered as more expensive than EF. -- Although there are no confirmed reports and everybody has their own version.
2) The deal for EF with saudi was only a small part of big deal. Saudi's were negotiating a 40 Billion pound deal with UK...for upgrading their existing weaponery , tornadoes , etc....One can only guess how much you can bargain when you have a deal of this magnitude going on ....and pretty much UK has a huge say in european consortium...I am betting bucks...if India would have been in Saudi's place then we would have dragged the price further down.
I agree numbers do make a difference...but not that much ...alteast in multi billion dollar deals!!
The weapon trials were made in India and with the Gripen C/D that were send before the NG. The NG did the same flight trials as the other competitiors in India.
Of course sooner, or later they will find a solution, but it's not available now and that shows the status of the development. Gripen NG is not a simple upgrade and that makes it more difficult till every capability is ready and proven.
Weapon trials were supposed to happen in country of origin ..atleast thats what was in the plan. I am pretty sure that i read reports about security/safety concerns with Foreign weapons coming to India. Two teams of IAF went to coutries of origin and tested out the weapons on each and every aircraft. This included flying and weapon testing on Gripen.. which version of Gripen -- i dont have access to that info. But i am pretty much sure they would have had access to Gripen Demo in Sweden including weapon testing on simulators and aircraft.
Sorry, but that doesn't make sense! Every fighter will be inducted with A2A capabilities first and only later the A2G capabilities will be added. By our logic, the Rafale F1 must had no A2A, nor A2G capabilities at all right? But that's wrong, the Rafale F1 inducted for the navy had A2A capabilities only, that's why they still use the Super Étendard in the strike role. F2 instead was multi role capable with A2G capabilities added, the only A2G weapon that was added in F3 is ASMP, the nuclear missile.
Sorry agreed. I was reading something else and made a mess..you are Right !!..Rigours of doing office work and posting on a forum !!
Who said its A2G capabilities is not questioned? I ranked it behind the Gripen NG or? Normally I would rank it even at the last place, but as long the EF don't has any A2G missile, it must be the last.
But the Gripen and even more the Mig are clearly not in the class of Rafale and F18SH in terms of A2G.
I pointed that out not because of your selection but because IN opted for Mig 29K with no confirmation on A2G roles. So there is definetly more to it than meets the eye when we say it hasnt proven itself in A2G. The fact that Mig 29 is proven platform was enough for IN to order it for naval aviation (coupled with fact that Russian arm twisting also did the trick but thats besides the point). Like i said ..the platform has proven itself...if a aircraft is undergoing modifications that doesnt mean it has to prove all over again for each and every quality of the aircraft.
I agree on EF.
...But here's a link from Reuters ..They are generally impecable when it comes to reporting..And i dont think you will ever find the true figure...i mean atleast not right now ...If the deal is finalized then yeah..i am begining to hear rumours that Rafale as won the deal
