Decision on $10 billion MMRCA deal soon

[Yusuf]

Content on DFI is property of DFI. let's sue!!!

 

[SpArK]

Go Bankrupt, Air Force Style

Just weeks from now, Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony will announce whether the Eurofighter or Dassault will win the $12 billion contract for the supply of 126 front-line fighters for the Indian Air Force.


Consistent delays by Russia in procurement, slipshod service and repeated cost escalations elbowed out the MiG-35,while US reluctance to give India anything other than the 20th century F-16, as well as crippling conditions on local production sharing of the more futuristic F-18, put paid to the hopes of the Obama administration that the Indian taxpayer would bailout Lockheed or boost Boeing. That left the Saab Gripen, which was eliminated by the Defense Ministry from consideration, reportedly on the grounds that it had a less than optimal radar capability.

This columnist favoured the Gripen, not only because it's much cheaper than the two other European Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) under consideration, but because Saab would have been agreeable to the location within India of far more significant chunks of aircraft production than the Eurofighter consortium or Dassault, both of whom seem seek to confine production operations of higher technology items to Europe rather than partnering with India to lower overall costs. Unlike Germany and France, the Scandinavian countries are far more willing to enter into equal partnerships with Indian industry, and hence the acquisition of the Swedish aircraft would have boosted local capabilities far more than either of the two options now shortlisted.



Interestingly, while the choice of radar has been given as the reason why the lower cost Gripen was eliminated, the Eurofighter has the exact same radar system as the Swedish aircraft, made by the same manufacturer. Additionally, the lifecycle costs of the Eurofighter are believed to be nearly ten times that of the Saab option, while the costs of the Dassault option are reportedly eight times the cost of the Gripen, for every hour of flight. This will make operation of either of the two shortlisted variants prohibitively expensive for the Indian Air Force.

Purchasing white elephants has become the sport of choice for the Defense Ministry. The Indian Navy has bought the mothballed Admiral Gorshkov from Russia at a price that will cross the $3.2 billion mark, or three times the estimate given at the time the decision to purchase this aircraft carrier was made. Like the Eurofighter or the Dassault options, the Admiral Gorshkov (now re-christened Vikramaditya and awaiting induction sometime in 2012) will be hugely expensive to operate. Of course, as the just-concluded $2 billion deal for the 'upgrade' of the Mirage squadrons shows, the higher the cost, the more the hidden 'sweeteners' are likely to be.

While there have been news reports of the Italian relatives of a prominent political family in India showing an interest in the MMRCA acquisition, the Indian media has, as is its wont, not dared explore the possibility of any such connection. Instead, they have lapped up the Defense Ministry's handouts, which tout the deal as giving 'teeth' to India's air attack capability. That such teeth would be false teeth doesn't seem to bother many. Thus far, the Defense Ministry has refused to budge from its policy of relying on foreign rather than Indian companies for big ticket items.

Antony has presided over the biggest spending binge ever entered into by the Defense Ministry. This legacy is the polar opposite of that of previous Defense Minister V.K. Krishna Menon, who during his tenure sought to deepen 'self-reliance' for defence items and technology. Given the financial hole that Europe is in, the murderous expense involved in purchasing, maintaining and operating the Eurofighter or the Dassault Rafaele may be put down to charity.




Go Bankrupt, Air Force Style | Indian Decade

 

[pankaj nema]

This writer madhav Nalapat is A KNOWN India baiter and HATER

He writes in Pakistani newspapers for his living

And he has been Anti Nuclear tests too

Bloody Ba$t****

 

[SpArK]

This writer madhav Nalapat is A KNOWN India baiter and HATER

He writes in Pakistani newspapers for his living

And he has been Anti Nuclear tests too

Bloody Ba$t****

The Grippen argument has been heard many a times. But its no excuse to attack the author.

Yes he writes in Pakistan observer .. also in times of India, sunday guardian and many other publications. He was an editor with much respected mathrubhumi daily too.

And for living well he has other posts too like:

• Director of Department of Geopolitics, UNESCO Peace Chair, Manipal University
• Distinguished Fellow, CITS, The University of Georgia
• Member of the Advisory Council, Naveen Hindustan Foundation, New Delhi
• Advisor, Asianet Communications Ltd, Trivandrum
• Governing Body member, the Abdus Salam Foundation, London
• Life Member, Institute of Social & Economic Change, Bangalore
• Senior Associate, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
• Advisory Board Member, Institute of Management, Meerut
• Associate member, United Services Institution, New Delhi

 

[ace009]

None of that makes him an expert in defense or foreign affairs. Actually most of these "posts" are meaningless positions -

His post reads like a hack job against the Rafale and the EF as well as the current GoI.
As for Gripen - I like it too, but the proposed Gripen NG was not even ready for demonstration - what SAAB brought to show was the Gripen 1, which had very few of the features asked for by IAF.

 

[Galaxy]

Nalapat is a supporter of CPC. He always praises China. Period ! 8)

 

[Sancho]

 

[Sancho]

... also in times of India, sunday guardian and many other publications. He was an editor with much respected mathrubhumi daily too.

Still, he clearly lacks knwoledge and understanding of the MMRCA, let alone of the Gripen itself! He blames IAF, althought they prefered the fast and cost-effective solution initially, by simply adding more single engine Mirage 2000s, but MoD/GoI didn't agreed.
He also didn't undestand why MoD/GoI didn't do so, because the possible industrial and political outcome of adding such big players like Boeing and EADS/BAE...with all the support of their countries gives India way more chances to improve our industry and add politcal and strategic advantages, than just going with a fast solution, that might have benefitted only IAF.
Moreover, he didn't understand that India already has the light to medium class, single engine, low cost fighter with the LCA and that's this was the biggest reason to reject the Gripen, not the competition of the more capable MMRCAs alone.
Saab and Sweden would have been good co-development partners if they joined LCA, or we joint Gripen development, but today in MMRCA, the aim is for way bigger industrial benefits then they can offer, since they are as dependent on foreign partners as we are (Gripens engine and big parts of radar and avionics are foreign, just like LCAs). That's why buying a more expensive fighter (besides the operational advantages of Rafale and to some extend EF), that offers more industrial and political advantages in return is totally worth it. The only question is, which one is more worth the costs, but we already can say that Indian industry will be a winner for sure!

 

[thakur_ritesh]

Additionally, the lifecycle costs of the Eurofighter are believed to be nearly ten times that of the Saab option, while the costs of the Dassault option are reportedly eight times the cost of the Gripen, for every hour of flight.

not sure how well researched an article is this and i think we are pointlessly getting taken away by the person who wrote this. the thing of interest is what he has written above.

if L1 is the sole criteria and if what mr nalapat has to say is correct, you pretty much have a winner there, in that one line.

as far as the article is concerned, well nothing to suggest how the IAF could/would make the country go bankrupt, hopefully though he doesnt intend to say, IAF going bankrupt!

 

[pankaj nema]

There is a gang of four anti India journalists

Madhav Nalapat , Praful Bidwai , Kuldip Nayyar ,and Javed Naqvi .

All Anti India , pro Pakistan, Anti Defence spending , Anti Nuclear tests
( I doubt how many of you have read the BRUTAL criticism of Nuclear tests by Praful Bidwai and Madhav Nalapat in 1998 )

It was as if China and USA were dictating those articles

Javed Naqvi has only one PET peeve .The Rise of BJP and he writes in DAWN to prove that Indian Muslims
are totally helpless and have no future in India

Kuldip Nayyar that old hag is always desperate to please Pakistanis And he would like India to IGNORE
terrorism and Compromise on Kashmir

 

[ace009]

I kind of like Praful Bidwai and Kuldip Nayyar ... Madhav Nalapat, not so much. Anyway, coming back to topic,

Any idea what is happening to the MMRCA deal right now? I thought they were going to announce a winner by mid October?

 

[Yusuf]

If the deal was in the hands of Praful Patel, it would have been signed long back and twice the quantity!!! He would not even have consulted the IAF bad bought the F18s

 

[Param]

If the deal was in the hands of Praful Patel, it would have been signed long back and twice the quantity!!! He would not even have consulted the IAF bad bought the F18s

And IAF might have been privatised.

 

[Yusuf]

Nope. Has AI been privatized?

 

[bhramos]

Week Before Final Indian Fighter Draw, Gripen Makes 2nd Price Pitch

I'm willing to be corrected on this, and I don't know if anyone's noticed, but Gripen is the only aircraft from among the four jets that were eliminated in the MMRCA competition, that still advertises and makes a public pitch. In August, three months after Saab was among four vendors knocked out of the race, it placed an advertisement in magazines talking about cost -- a direct snipe at the high reputed price of the two aircraft the Indian government had selected for the final toss-up -- the Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale. And now, just about a week before the MoD opens commercial bids, Gripen had the advertisement you see above, in magazines (I saw this one in Vayu).

This second post-elimination ad hinges on similar themes -- high technology, but not at unwieldy cost. "Leaders must also take responsibility. There can not be too heavy a price for leadership. The Gripen IN's low life cycle cost makes it a responsible leader through its lifetime."

Livefist: Week Before Final Indian Fighter Draw, Gripen Makes 2nd Price Pitch

 

[Yusuf]

It's clear that the L1 will be from the shortlisted fighters and not just any fighter.

 

[Daredevil]

I think SAAB is desperate because if they don't get MMRCA order they will face the possibility of closing down their assembly lines of Gripen and might also effect their future development of fighter jets.

But Gripen lost the MMRCA race not on L1 bid but on the parameters laid down by IAF during the MMRCA trials. Especially they lacked the AESA and also too many American parts and therefore the possibility of getting sanctioned. And moreover no strategic gains.

 

[thakur_ritesh]

wow!

whats with SAAB? india is certainly not looking out for a deal which doesnt have any political mileage, dont the swedes get that? these chaps look mighty desperate!

now that article by Nalapat comes across pretty suspicious so does the timing which coincides with this ad.

 

[thakur_ritesh]

today happens to be the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] day, just in case the leaks start to erupt

why do i suspect it will be the manufacturers doing a lot of talking around as unnamed sources

thread bumped

 

[bengalraider]

All this running around by SAAB and now the foreign minister of Sweden is coming to India this week as well
Carl Bildt to India for official visit

Press release
14 October 2011
Ministry for Foreign Affairs


Carl Bildt to India for official visit

Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt will travel to India on Tuesday 18 October. His visit will begin in the country's financial and commercial capital Mumbai, where meetings are scheduled with various financial institutions and Indian and Swedish companies.

On Thursday Mr Bildt will travel to New Delhi for political talks with Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna and others, and to take part in the Embassy's annual week commemorating Alfred Nobel, this year on the theme of creativity and innovation. On Friday Mr Bildt will address the Asia Forum on Global Governance on the theme of 'Global Asia'.

Meetings with opposition representatives, academics and journalists are also planned.