France hails India's selection of Rafale fighters as vote of confidence

[Ambitious.Asian]

Paris: France today hailed India's selection of French firm Dassault as the preferred bidder for a multi-billion-dollar fighter jet contract as a vote of confidence in French industry.

The selection of Dassault's Rafale multi-role fighter "goes far beyond the company that makes them, far beyond aerospace -- it is a vote of confidence in the entire French economy," President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

Indian and French officials said Dassault had beat the Eurofighter consortium for the right to enter exclusive negotiations with India in a major contract estimated to be worth USD 12 billion.

Sarkozy said the competition for the contract was "at a very high level" and that the Rafale was chosen "thanks to the competitiveness of the global cost of the aircraft over its lifetime."

The announcement, the first anticipated sale of Rafales to a foreign buyer, gave a much-needed boost to France's Rafale programme, which had been suffering from a lack of foreign contracts.

French Minister of State for Foreign Trade Pierre Lellouche hailed the selection as a positive sign for the French economy, which is struggling in the face of the eurozone debt crisis.

"This is good news and France needs good news right now... It is good news for our aerospace industry and for our defence industry, which is among the best in the world," he said.

"I hope that this order will finally open up real perspectives" for the Rafale programme "because the political pressure applied by our competitors do not make things very easy," he added.

French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet warned in December that production of the Rafale -- a project that has so far cost more than 40 billion euros -- could halt if it remained unable to sell any abroad.

France is also hoping to sell the planes to Brazil, which is choosing between Rafales, Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and Sweden's Gripen for a contract to supply 36 multi-role fighters.

Dassault has also been in talks for years with the United Arab Emirates on buying 60 Rafales and hopes to eventually convince Kuwait and Qatar to buy some.


Rafale fighters deal with India a 'vote of confidence', says France

 

[T90TankGuy]

this is a shot in the arm for France. i feel . and i could be wrong , but they will be able to close a few more deals now with other countries

 

[Big Boss]

India-France fridenship

 

[nomi007]

india is the 1st foreign customer of rafale
india choose a great fighter jet
no other have rafale in the region

 

[HongWu]

I think the negotiations will probably fail. india is expecting too much. And then india will go back to another bidder.

 

[baajey]

I think the negotiations will probably fail. india is expecting too much. And then india will go back to another bidder.

we hope that it wont go that way

 

[Ambitious.Asian]

I think the negotiations will probably fail. india is expecting too much. And then india will go back to another bidder.

chini bhai subh subh bol.......

 

[HongWu]

we hope that it wont go that way

We all know the way indians do things. This MMRCA bid is not even a real bid. It's just an invitiation to negotiate. Now France and india are negotiating. Whether all the promises will come true is not certain. I would say there is a 50+% chance it will fail and india will go back to another vender before 2014.

 

[MUHARIB]

We all know the way indians do things. This MMRCA bid is not even a real bid. It's just an invitiation to negotiate. Now France and india are negotiating. Whether all the promises will come true is not certain. I would say there is a 50+% chance it will fail and india will go back to another vender before 2014.

Yup!! i agree and what will happen then??

PS- Missed u mate..where were you all these days??

 

[Tridibans]

I think the negotiations will probably fail. india is expecting too much. And then india will go back to another bidder.

Thank you for warning us.
But we will take the word of the Company itself and the French president. If anything, it may get delayed by a couple of months.

 

[Ambitious.Asian]

We all know the way indians do things. This MMRCA bid is not even a real bid. It's just an invitiation to negotiate. Now France and india are negotiating. Whether all the promises will come true is not certain. I would say there is a 50+% chance it will fail and india will go back to another vender before 2014.

no more blaa blaa blaa

 

[Vinod2070]

The clown is back!

 

[Jason bourne]

I think the negotiations will probably fail. india is expecting too much. And then india will go back to another bidder.

can u shade some light what is india expecting i dont know anything ?

 

[Abingdonboy]

I think the negotiations will probably fail. india is expecting too much. And then india will go back to another bidder.

We all know the way indians do things. This MMRCA bid is not even a real bid. It's just an invitiation to negotiate. Now France and india are negotiating. Whether all the promises will come true is not certain. I would say there is a 50+% chance it will fail and india will go back to another vender before 2014.

Right, right and can I ask how many multi-billion dollar arms purchas have you brokered? How many high level defence negations ha e you been a part of? You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Why would India fail these talks? Such a thing has never happend before but you make out this is commonplace. The fact is the Dassualt bid was obviously much more attractive with all the "sweeteners" and offsets and ToT than the EFT's especially with Dassualt being as desperate as they are. Do you really think the GoI/MoD are that incompetent to fail at signing a deal with a desperate seller? I may not have a particuarly high opinion of the GoI/MoD but one thing they are is very shrewd when it comes to such matters and they certainly aren't fools.


Not even when the lossy thing is in India in IAF colours will you lot shut up, you will still be forecasting trouble.

 

[Major Shaitan Singh]

Guys Wake Up......

Dassault Rafale came with many strings one must not forget.

Rafale Engine is powered by Snecma the same company that is helping in Kaveri Engine.
French Scorpène class submarines builders DCNS with Help in ATV programs with MESMA system
French shipbuilder DCNS will help in IAC 1 and 2 with CATOBAR technology and steam catapult
Dassault will help with AESA radar for LCA

Not to forget French were awarded with Nuclear contracts