A file picture taken on March 30, 2011 shows a French Rafale fighter jet from the Istres military air base.
AFP PHOTO/GERARD JULIEN
Posted on 04/30/2015 2:21:05 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
PARIS: The French presidency said Thursday Qatar had agreed to purchase 24 Rafale fighter jets, adding that Francois Hollande would travel to Doha on May 4 for the contract signing ceremony.
Sources close to the negotiations had earlier told AFP that a deal - which includes a firm order for 24 jets with an option on 12 other planes
(Excerpt) Read more at dailystar.com.lb ...
A file picture taken on March 30, 2011 shows a French Rafale fighter jet from the Istres military air base.
AFP PHOTO/GERARD JULIEN
No sales for 20 years and, now, suddenly 3 deals in 2 months!!
What does it mean?
It takes roughly five years to assemble, test and fly a fighter after the contract is signed. This sale probably indicates a few things. The buyers are desperate for a fast delivery. I think the production lines are empty at the moment. It means that the buyers are reluctant to accept the strings which come with American sales. The French will sell you parts even if you’re using them to kill the British. Also, the buyers aren’t worried about getting the latest design. They just want a credible fighter. I’ll also wager the French are paying kickbacks which are illegal here.
The Dassault production line was running at the minimum required capacity. The new buyers are most likely to get airframes that were meant for the French military, with the government happy to oblige (cutting costs).
About kickbacks, American companies won much larger deals with Qatar very recently. Were kickbacks involved there?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/qatar-defence-idusl5n0mo3vv20140327
“Were kickbacks involved there?”
Kickbacks used to be handled with cash. But now, in American politics they’re done by paying a family member to give a speech. Book deals are often given; eight million dollars for a book that will be ghost written for $30,000. Most companies have a local affiliate which is “independent” and therefore exempt from US law. I’ll bet it would take a dedicated team of forensic accountants to answer your question. What I do know is, baksheesh is a normal part of Arab culture.
You can put canard wings on a pig...and it’s still a PIG.
Probably looking at defemding themselves against the Madmen Across the Water (Iran)
Interesting.
France sells fighter to Qatar.
Qatar sponsors terrorist groups in Mali and other central African countries.
Terrorist groups in Mali kill French soldiers.
Sounds like our relationship with the Saudis
Bakshish is a normal part of almost every culture. In our own it has been institutionalized and formalized and is something that increases in direct proportion with the increase of government. Construction contractors and developers used to do favors for local politicians such as lawn service for the duration of the project or adding a garage for the commissioner or washing the permit clerk’s car. That’s old time bribery. Now more and more it is the mounting fees and permits and licenses required for doing just about anything at all. The corruption is enshrined thereby in law.
We have for many years had the same relationship with the Sauds. Saudi money (American derived) financed the rise of Al Qaeda and thus the other side in the war in Afghanistan.
This sale, along with the change to the Indian MMRCA contract to outright sales instead of establishing an assembly line for Hindustan, will allow the French Government to back out of their buys and keep the Rafale line going for a few more years.
That is, if the French and Qatar can come to terms. France seems to have a knack of winning a contract then never getting a signature. Morocco comes to mind as one example, and India's MMRCA almost became another.
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