Posted on 01/01/2015 6:35:06 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
For the first time since January 31, 2012, when the French Rafale fighter was chosen as the future medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), it has been officially admitted that there are serious problems in negotiating the purchase with the French vendor, Dassault. the Indian Business Standard reports.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday evening, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said there were “complications” in the negotiations, already on for almost three years, with the French side reluctant to meet commitments that IAF had specified in the tender. Parrikar mentioned that local production of Su-30 MKI by HAL would be adequate for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in case India will not procure the Rafale. Past reports cited the reluctance of the French side to assume responsibility for the local production of 108 Rafales by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), mandated by the tender.
The IAF currently plans to have 272 Su-30MKI fighters by about 2018. HAL’s Nashik production line is building the fighter at $56 million each (358 crore Inr.), less than half the estimated cost of the Rafale.
In another reversal of previous ruling, Parrikar reiterated his intention to permit foreign arms companies to station “representatives or technical consultants” in India. India imposed a ban on ‘agents’ that after the Bofors gun scandal of 1987-88.
“Changes will be made to the Defence Procurement Policy. Company representatives will be allowed but commission, or percentage of profit for the deals will not be allowed.” Parrikar said, adding that representatives have to be registered with the ministry and remuneration shall be declared by the company.
According to The Tribune, a draft of the changed policy is ready and the final draft will be ready in the next few days and the process will be completed in 45 days. “The interests of the military would be taken care off” Parrikar declared.
Parrikar also indicated that may opt to lift lift the ban on blacklisted firms if the equipment they supply is crucial to the armed forces. The Minister made it clear that “success fees will not be allowed”. The Minister gave an example that Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) has been allowed to deal with the original Tatra company but not Tatra UK, which was banned following allegations of kick-backs.
Pack yer bags, it looks like yer goin to India!
CC
He’s always been there. He is indian.
...never mind.
/ Emily Litella>
CC
My understanding is Ukraine produces some of the hydraulics, targeting systems, electronics, etc. for the SU-30. Not sure how badly this will affect sales/production.
India has been building the SU-30 under license for about a decade or so. So, as long as the Ukrainian equipment, if any, is going to a foreign agency as opposed to a Russian one, I think production will continue. After all, the Ukrainian arms industry too needs to survive.
I didn’t know that Israel is going to buy for the IDF this plane. I think the J35 is a waste of a billion per plane, they can’t even mount a machine gun on it.
This wouldn’t be good. While the Su-30MKI has better avionics than the Su-30MKK (China’s version), the Chinese have plenty of practice in flying against this with their many different fighters. India will only have one modern fighter and nothing to complement the Su-30mki
You’re right and besides the SU-30 is a heavy fighter, with higher life cycle costs and lower availability rates compared to the Rafale.
My guess is that this is just posturing to get the French to yield.
Is it true that some critical technologies were left out in the specs to make the price more palatable, something akin to what was allegedly done to make the T-92 "cheaper" than the Arjun ?
I don’t think anything ‘critical’ could be left out or the the French offer wouldn’t be compliant with what the IAF wanted. Same goes for all the other vendors. If the French did do something like that, the other competitors could have raised a ruckus. I think the paperwork part of their offer was fine, its the way the French negotiate that’s the problem.
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