Austrian MiG29SMT???

This article apaeared few months back regardibg the Austrian choice for Fighter plane..I just wish to know does anybody has any new nowes and Is the article right in sugesting that SMT has deacent chance?

Rossiyskaya Gazeta 10/09/00
Russia Has ‘Very Real Chance’ of Selling MiG fighters to Austria Despite NATO

Vienna — Russian arms manufacturers are increasingly actively emerging onto the world market, despite tough competition from military concerns in the NATO member states. The alluring prospect of squeezing rivals not only in “third world” countries but also in the developed West, particularly Austria, is opening up before us probably for the first time.

A presentation of the latest MiG-29 SMT fighter of the third millennium, which is being offered to the Austrian Air Force, has taken place in the Russian Embassy in Vienna. Addressing the function, Nikolay Nikitin, general director of the MiG Russian Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation, emphasized that the talks with the Austrian Defense Ministry on the sale of our combat aircraft have entered the decisive phase. At the same time the MiG’s creators are offering the Austrians a “package program” for the creation in the Alpine republic of a Russian-Austrian joint venture for the series production of the MiG-110 48-seat passenger and freight aircraft.

“Just 10 years ago it would have been impossible to imagine a Russian manufacturer of military hardware offering his product to a developed European state,” N. Nikitin said in conversation with Rossiyskaya Gazeta’s correspondent. “Today this is an objective reality and, moreover, one of the main areas for shaping the new Europe. We are prepared for close cooperation with European countries not only in the economic sphere but also in the sphere of defense policy. An example of this is provided by the Russian president’s statement on the possibility of creating a nonstrategic missile defense system for Europe. Specialists at the MiG Russian Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation regard the phased creation and operation of a mixed pool of MiG-29 fighters and Eurofighters as expedient and technically absolutely feasible.”

Within the framework of the tender announced by the Austrian Government our fighters are competing with the U.S. F-18, the French Mirage 2000-5, and the Swedish Saab Gripen. In the opinion of specialists, the MiG’s creators are offering the most advantageous terms. With regard to specifications and performance characteristics the Russian aircraft is a pure interceptor, whereas the competing machines are multirole aircraft. This circumstance is of considerable importance, considering the fact that Austrian military doctrine allocates exclusively defensive functions to its Air Force. The partnership between the MiG Russian Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation and DASA, a leading West European aerospace concern, makes it possible to ensure that the modernized MiG-29’s fully meet all NATO standards. The joint ventures set up by the Russian corporation in Germany, India, and Malaysia ensure the servicing and technical maintenance of our fighters to the highest standard. The package program provides for the opening of an analogous venture in Austria.

Our aircraft, as the Austrian press testifies, is being offered at a price far less than that of the U.S., French, and Swedish machines For example, 18 MiG’s cost the Malaysian Air Force less than eight F-18’s purchased from the Americans. We are agreeable to making deliveries of Russian fighters on account of partially clearing Russia’s state debt to Austria.

In short, the Russian aircraft manufacturers are in with a very real chance. And yet there are some circumstances which may prevent us from winning the tender. It is a question, above all, of the political background to this deal. Although they do not say so openly, the Austrians make it clear in unofficial conversations that Austria’s new conservative government, which has adopted a policy of rapprochement with NATO, will hardly venture to buy Russian combat aircraft. Vienna is afraid of ending up in military and technical dependence on Russia. The pushiness of the Americans, who dictate military policy in the EU, as well as offering their own aircraft, must not be disregarded either.

Time will show how this acute rivalry on the Austrian arms market will end. As Nikitin pointed out, our aircraft manufacturers are inclined to follow their principle which has been tested by time and by pilots: The MiG-29 does not yield without a struggle and triumphs in combat. Within the framework of the tender a program of test flights for our fighters is planned for the end of September this year jointly with representatives of the Austrian Defense Ministry. Experts from the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Finance and the military departments will also observe the MiG’s “battle” for Austria’s skies.