Eurofighters for India?-Germany Will 'Contribute to an Arms Race,' Charges Opposition

[GORKHALI]

Eurofighters for India?: GermanyWill 'Contribute to an Arms Race,' Charges Opposition - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
Selling fighter jets to India would violate weapons-export guidelines, say members of the German opposition, who are criticizing a trip by Defense Minister Guttenberg to India this week. New Delhi has dangled a fat contract for a fleet of jets, but critics say Berlin should not export weapons to a crisis zone.

German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has been criticized by opponents for making a trip this week to India, where he attended an air show in Bangalore Thursday and tried to drum up business for a European-made fighter jet.

On Wednesday he met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose government is weighing a purchase of 126 Eurofighters, built by the German-French aerospace consortium EADS. The deal is reportedly worth €7.3 billion ($9.9 billion).

India's long-simmering border conflict with neighboring Pakistan has made Guttenberg's two-day trip something of a controversy. Both countries have nuclear arsenals, and German Green Party chief Claudia Roth told SPIEGEL ONLINE that a sale of military gear to any crisis region was "an open departure from the principles of German weapons-export policy."

German export guidelines from 2000 say weapons should not be sold to nations at imminent risk of armed conflict. "India not only falls into this category as a nuclear power," Roth said, "it also lies in a highly unstable conflict zone."

By stumping for the Eurofighter in New Delhi, "the dashing Guttenberg will contribute to an arms race," said Roth. "That contradicts, in an irresponsible way, important efforts for peace and stability in this very tense region."

A prominent Social Democrat, Gernot Erler -- who served in the Foreign Ministry between 2005 and 2009 -- told SPIEGEL ONLINE that Chancellor Angela Merkel's current government behaves "frivolously" with German export guidelines.

'There Will Not Be Any Irresponsible Exports'

Guttenberg is a member of the Christian Socialist Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's center-right Christian Democrats (CDU). They've ruled since 2009 in a coalition with the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) and before that were in government with the Social Democrats from 2005-2009.

Guttenberg's office countered Thursday by saying the export guidelines were drawn up by a previous government, namely the Green-Social Democrat coalition under former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who left office in 2005. In 2008, Guttenberg's staff argues, Berlin agreed in principle to a sale of jets to India -- with the tacit participation of Gernot Erler, among others.

"Some of those now being critical took part in this decision," the defense minister told reporters at the Aero India air show in Bangalore.

The Federal Security Council -- a parliamentary committee on defense issues -- makes final decisions on German weapons sales, and in 2008 the council did not object to a potential deal with India.

"There cannot and will not be any irresponsible weapons exports," Guttenberg added. "We have clear guidelines. We have decisions that must go through the Federal Security Council, and that is the basis for our negotiations."

But the question of whether to loosen the Schröder-era guidelines has been a political football for months. The Eurofighter sale is also not a sure thing -- India's massive contract to modernize its air force has a number of international suitors. The American F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Russian MiG-35 Fulcrum are also in competition.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Pakistan announced a successful test launch of a new cruise missile, the Hatf VII, which reportedly has a range of 600 kilometers.

hahaha mein to hamesa soctha tha ki sirf india aisa place hai pure duniya mein jha pe vote bank policy ka bole bala hairofl:

 

[Abingdonboy]

This is nothing more than point scoring for the political opposition. They would criticise the government for doing anything. I'm sure they wouldn't say no to $10bn if they were in power. Anyway an arms race?? India has always dominated Pakistan in manpower and technology right from 1947, the gap has merely increased in the last 5-10yrs. And anyway India will be getting a 5th gen fighter in the next 10 years surely this is a bigger game-changer than a 4th gen fighter??

Just politics.

 

[tallboy123]

Arms race....

Arms race with Pakistan is over my dear German opposition parties...

Don't try to score a point here....

 

[ganimi kawa]

Does this mean this Green Party will also oppose the sell of U-214 submarines to Pakistan?


Anyway, here is the most important line in this news.....

The Federal Security Council -- a parliamentary committee on defense issues -- makes final decisions on German weapons sales, and in 2008 the council did not object to a potential deal with India.

......Who cares what greenies say?


P.S. On a serious note, Sancho bhai is the guy who is most qualified to comment on this.

 

[Kinetic]

What type of tamasha is this? What arms race? If they don't want to sell, no issue, but they should not give nonsense reason.

They are acting more like Mamta in West Bengal or Jayalalitha in Tamilnadu. What will change if Germany don't sell anything to India? What can they offer? Don't India have any other options? What they are doing except be part of Eurofighter consortium? Not only German defence minister but ministers/officials from UK, Italy and Spain are also present in Aero India. They must understand that this is not one way game.

 

[StormShadow]

looks like someones lobbying real hard to block the sale
And yes.. it triggers an arms race and IAF will have more razor sharp claws to inflict serious damage to the aggressors who have no answer to this beast

 

[prototype]

Indian defense budget is almost 1/5 of Pakistani GDP,the hell they call it arms race.

Get out of the competition rather than making ridiculous statements.

 

[blackops]

let them say any thing am sure if the guy who passed this comment was in power even he would have tried to sell something worth 10 bn $
any ways if you want to sell sell it or rafel will be the chosen one

 

[tallboy123]

well we know Eurofighter is leading the race,so Someone is pressurizing the germans...

 

[Veeru]

Guys its just politics like Congress will oppose everything done by BJP and BJP will do the same for congress or PPP will oppose PML or BNP will oppose AL etc. etc. Don't take it seriously.

 

[Storm Force]

If the germans are talking Arms Race they must be referring to China.

There is no way Pakistan can RACE INDIA in A SERIOUS arms race.

The two budgets today and the next 10 years are massively lopsided

 

[sancho]

Does this mean this Green Party will also oppose the sell of U-214 submarines to Pakistan?

Officially yes, because they have to! They are a party that is against war (with Germanys historical background, that's basically a good opinion) so Germany selling weapons to other nations is not what they want and what many Germans in general thinks either.
But what many of them don't know is, that their country is the worlds number 3, when it comes to arms exports:

Arms industry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


German arms industry is very powerful and it is not surprising that this government (which is focused on economy first) is trying to sell weapons to India. The crucial point in regard of Germany is and that's why Kinetic maybe don't know about it also, they don't sell only complete weapon systems, but many parts of them. For any kind of weapon, or arm they have any high tech system that they can offer. Some examples:
Dhruv designed by MBB a former German Aerospace company, not merged to Eurocopter, Arjun MBT, designed by KMW and Rheinmetall on basis of their Leopart 2 MBT, the engine was from MTU, NAL RTA 70 should get the interior made by Diehl Aerospace (just made a post on that today):

http://www.defence.pk/forums/india-...ointly-develop-ms-21-airline.html#post1473795

Also not to forget EADS, the biggest European defense company, that Germany (at least in form of their companies) is partially involved. They offer and co-develop several systems for our programs like LCA, or DRDO AWACS for example, while offering big sales like EF, A330 tanker, turbo prop transporter and MPAs, trainer, or helicopter.

Germany sell tanks, subs, artillery, small arms like any other country too... but are also selling and co-developing techs and weapons, that can get access to foreign arms markets (even difficult once) much easier. Such markets like Iraq in the past, where they can't sell a complete weapon system, because of German laws, or international restrictions, but minor parts like materials, electronics, EO parts instead. That's also a way to bypass these laws and don't attract too much attention as a big weapon seller like the US, Russia, or France.

However, from Indias point of view, this news is not important, because it 's just the usual media hype, that any opposition party in any country would use. Even if that party is in power, they might not support such sales, but won't fight them either.

 

[T90TankGuy]

bunch of idiots playing to the galerey.

 

[IND151]

India needs euro fighter to win arms race with Pakistan! i was thinking that FGFAs , agni 1, agni 2, pritvi missiles will do this job.

 

[conworldus]

If the germans are talking Arms Race they must be referring to China.

There is no way Pakistan can RACE INDIA in A SERIOUS arms race.

The two budgets today and the next 10 years are massively lopsided

How can India race China in a serious arms race?