French's Dassault Rafale UAE deal back on-report

ejazr

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French's Dassault Rafale UAE deal back on-report - The Times of India

PARIS: France could seal a long-awaited deal for Dassault to sell at least 60 Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates by April, turning around what appeared to have been a lost cause, French newspaper La Tribune reported on Thursday.

The French-built jet emerged on Tuesday as preferred bidder in a $15 billion contest to supply India with 126 warplanes, lifting hopes for a sale that would boost French national pride and restore the lustre of its aviation sector.

Citing unidentified sources, the paper said on its website that President Nicolas Sarkozy would go to the UAE in March or early April when the contract is likely to be finalised.

The deal, potentially worth $10 billion has been in the works since 2008, but was thrown into doubt in November when the world's fourth-largest oil exporter said the proposed terms were "uncompetitive and unworkable." It asked for details of a rival aircraft, the Typhoon built by the Eurofighter consortium.

"Everything has been unlocked (between the UAE and Dassault)," an unidentified source told La Tribune.

A French government source told Reuters that Paris was waiting to hear from the Emirates this month. Dassault and the Defence Ministry declined to comment.

Sarkozy scored a commercial coup with the announcement this week that years of lobbying had pushed India close to buying the Rafale and will look to make political gains ahead of April's presidential election in which he is lagging in the polls behind Socialist rival Francois Hollande.

The UAE has pressed for the aircraft's engines to be upgraded with extra thrust and for better radar, industry sources have said.

La Tribune said there were a few technical details still to be ironed out, but that they were easy to resolve. It added that as part of the deal Paris would take back the Emirates' existing Dassault-made Mirage fighters.

Speaking after the India announcement, French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet hinted there could be more deals ahead.

"Good news are like worries, they fly in squadrons," he said. "That (deal) is the start of a squadron of good news."

A French win in the UAE could also lead to further contracts in the Gulf Arab region which shares the West's concerns that Iran is using its nuclear energy programme to develop weapons, a charge Tehran has denied. Saudi Arabia inked a deal for U.S. arms worth nearly $60 billion a year ago.

Qatar, a close French ally, said last year it wanted to replace its fleet of Mirage fighter jets during 2012 possibly buying 24 to 36 units. Kuwait in 2010 said it was also considering buying Rafales to replace its ageing Mirage fleet.

According to analysts the Gulf countries are looking to have the same aircraft for inter-operability reasons as well as differentiating themselves from Gulf power house Saudi Arabia, which uses U.S. Boeing-built F-15s.

"My wish is that the UAE makes a decision that allows two neighbours that want inter-operability with it to make decisions," Longuet said in January when asked about potential contracts in Qatar and Kuwait.

"If they get the feeling no decision is taken they will look elsewhere. For now they are interested, but they will only really be if the first one takes a leap."
 

Armand2REP

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We never wanted to buy back the Mirages. We have to find a customer and fast.
 

Armand2REP

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Rafale deal never was off in UAE


ABU DHABI // A multibillion-dollar deal for 60 Rafale fighter jets for the Air Force may be back on.

Talks were believed to have stalled last year when Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said the planes' French maker, Dassault Aviation, had proposed "uncompetitive and impractical" terms.

But Maj Gen Khalid Al Buainnain, former commander of the Air Force and Air Defence, said: "Discussions never stopped."

Gen Al Buainnain, is also chairman of Baynuna Group, an Abu Dhabi company that has a joint venture with Dassault to "transfer technology know-how, services and products" in the UAE and abroad.

"The technical and financial and contractual discussions have been completely finished. We're "¦ working out how we can smooth out this contract."

The deal could be done by April, unidentified sources told the French newspaper La Tribune last week.

Rafale fighter deal 'is back on' - The National

Eurofighter can forget that one...
 

halloweene

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UPDATE 2-France, UAE still talking on Rafale jets -French source

from UPDATE 2-France, UAE still talking on Rafale jets -French source | Reuters

* Talks have chance of succeeding -source

* Contract will not be signed during Hollande visit -source

Jan 9 (Reuters) - France is hopeful of selling 60 Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, a French diplomatic source said on Thursday as President Francois Hollande prepares to visit the Gulf country next week.

The possible sale will be one of the main focuses of Hollande's visit although the source said the signature of a deal was not planned during the trip.

The on-off negotiations have been under way for several years and were given high-profile support by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who mounted a diplomatic campaign to win the first firm export order for the jet.

Talks hit an obstacle in November 2010 when Abu Dhabi publicly criticized Dassault Aviation, the maker of the Rafale, over the price of the multi-role combat jet and sought information on the competing Eurofighter Typhoon.

It has also contacted U.S. company Boeing over the F-18 warplane.

"The matter is still on the table and has a chance of succeeding and it is also linked with other Rafale export deals to other countries," the source said.

Dassault declined to comment.

The negotiations were reported to have been put on hold ahead of last May's French elections, and since then the oil producing nation has appeared less hurried to close a deal as it gauges Hollande's diplomatic engagement.

He travels to Abu Dhabi on Jan. 14-15, where Paris has its only military base in the Middle East, to discuss bilateral relations and rising tensions with Iran over its nuclear programme.

"If the question is: Will the contract be signed during the president's visit, then the answer is no," the source said.

A French win in the UAE could also lead to further contracts in the Gulf Arab region, which shares the West's concerns that Iran is using its nuclear energy programme to develop weapons, a charge Tehran has denied. Saudi Arabia inked a deal for U.S. arms worth nearly $60 billion a year ago.

Qatar, a close French ally, said last year it wanted to replace its fleet of Mirage fighter jets during 2012, possibly buying 24 to 36 units. Kuwait in 2010 said it was also considering buying Rafales to replace its ageing Mirage fleet.

According to analysts, the Gulf countries are looking to have the same aircraft for interoperability reasons as well as differentiating themselves from Gulf power house Saudi Arabia, which uses U.S. Boeing-built F-15s.

Paris has billed Hollande's visit as more than just a push for France's commercial interests in the country even though he is bringing a delegation of executives from at least 10 top French companies.
 

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