Indian’s Rafale would remain largely produced in France
Because of the technological complexity of the fighter, the majority of the workload in the production of 126 fighter jets to India should be provided by French companies.
Negotiations continue to go well between Dassault Aviation and the Indian Department of Defense to reach an agreement. The two partners have not yet converted into a commercial contract the selection of the Rafale that took place in February, placing the French manufacturer as the exclusive partner for the acquisition of 126 fighters. Dassault Aviation, is reassuring on the progress of negotiations, highlighting the complexity of technical, commercial, and legal negotiations of this type of deal.
Moreover, little is known of the industrial sharing between the two countries. Only certainty: 18 aircraft will be assembled in the factory of Dassault Merignac, Gironde and the remaining 108 in India . However, sources indicate that the French division of labor remain very much in favor of French, even believing that they would keep well over 50% of production associated with all future contract.
That would be good news for the Franco-French supply chain of the Rafale: the manufacturer does indeed contract almost exclusively to French companies for the production of its combat aircraft. In total, 500 companies are involved mobilizing about 7,000 jobs.
THE OBSTACLE OF TECHNOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY
Several factors could explain this favourable share to French industrialists, despite the original tender issued by New Delhi included industrial offsets amounting to 50% of the contract value as well as technology transfer. First, as for commercial aircraft of type Boeing or Airbus , assembling a fighter represent only a modest fraction of the total value of the unit, about 15% according to some experts.
Second Indian companies are far away from mastering the technology to produce the complex electronic equipments present in the Rafale. Their contribution could therefore be quite limited at first, and organized around elements of the fuselage, the wings, the canopy … As to produce sub-critical assemblies of the device as the radar antenna active electronics of Thales , the mastery of these skills appears remote.
Third, the Indian government is seeking to benefit from expertise of France and its military aircraft manufacturer, to reorganize its military aircraft industry.
Discussion points between the Indian and French partners is not lacking, which augur yet long months of negotiations before signing the final contract.
Indian Navy Freezes Flat-Top Configuration
The navy has been known to want to deploy heavier fighters from a carrier. Still, the freeze on a flat-top catapult-launch design also dramatically changes the navy’s future fighter requirement. In 2009, the service invited information to support a purchase of aircraft for deck-based operations, which did not specify launch type but had been presumed to be Stobar. Several companies were asked for information: Russia’s MiG and Sukhoi for the MiG-29K and Su-33, respectively; Dassault Aviation with the Rafale (noting that the Rafale could be modified for Stobar operations); Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet; and two aircraft concepts—Saab’s Sea Gripen and Eurofighter’s Naval Typhoon.
A catapult carrier could narrow the field to a competition involving a modified Su-33, the F/A-18, F-35C and Rafale. The Rafale—currently in final negotiations for the Indian air force’s largest-ever fighter purchase, worth around $12 billion for 126 aircraft—has already pushed its case with the navy, underlining type commonality.
Officials at Eurofighter said they had heard about the navy’s plans with the second aircraft carrier, and agreed that such a decision would all but rule out the Naval Typhoon from future navy contests. “The Typhoon can be modified for Catobar operations, but it is unlikely that the economies of such a modification will work out. And this is before we even talk numbers of aircraft,” says a senior EADS executive in India.
Russia hints India could refloat MMRCA tender
New Delhi: A senior Russian official has hinted that India could cancel the results of the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender and refloat it.
A report in the The Hindu newspaper quoted Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Vyacheslav Dzirkaln as saying that India and France had failed to reach agreement on crucial issues including technology transfer and financial terms.
Dzirkaln indicated that Russia would bid again if the tender was refloated. The Russian MiG-35 fighter had been eliminated in the early stages of the MMRCA competition.
French company Dassault Aviation’s Rafale had won the $10.4 billion deal to supply 126 MMRCA to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
According to sources, Rafale won the multi-billion dollar deal as it was found to be similar to the French Mirage 2000 fighter jet, which is already being operated by the IAF.
Rafale beat the Eurofighter Typhoon to bag the deal. Rafale was preferred as its commercial bid was lower than Eurofighter Typhoon. The Eurofighter bid was backed by four partner nations – Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.
The IAF had invited bids from military aviation majors to supply 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraf for which six contenders – Russia’s MIG- 35, USA’s F-16 Falcon (Lockheed Martin), F-18 Hornet (Boeing), Swedish Saab Gripen, European EADS EuroFighter Typhoon and Rafale.
Following lengthy field trials across the globe the Typhoon and Rafale were shortlisted while the rest were rejected as they failed to meet the technical qualifications specified by the IAF.
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