Why Cougars for CSAR? That design is kinda old. Wouldn’t NH-90s be able to do that mission?

A fair question.
The answer is very simple, a CSAR helicopter has a pretty specific features.
So, for now, no NH-90 CSAR are ready, which might be very plausible in the future.

Look at the article posted in this forum earlier by stealth spy.

No article from Stealth spy to be seen.
Anyway, what about that article ?
http://fr.biz.yahoo.com/21072006/202/accord-france-arabie-sur-la-vente-future-d-equipements-militaires.html

Conclus au terme d’une visite de trois jours à Paris du prince héritier saoudien et ministre de la Défense Sultan Ben Abdel Aziz, les accords de coopération militaire concernent dans un premier temps la vente d’hélicoptères et d’avions ravitailleurs Airbus (Paris: NL0000235190 – actualité) , puis, en fonction des négociations, l’avion de chasse Rafale et le char Leclerc essentiellement.

The saudi MoD is enough I hope ?

But it seems that the Saudi deal will come to fruition. This is bad news for the French and the Rafale who were hoping to get some Suadi action.

Jsut like the RSAF got Tornado and F-15, a earlier delivery of Typhoon wouldn’t translate into the impossibility for them to buy Rafale.
Don’t worry 🙂

So its a case of ‘we are sorry that you can not make a plane as good as the Typhoon, so we will buy some helicopters of you instead’.

Where do you see that ?

In comparison to the Rafale, EF should be able to use their new Iris-T Missiles, and most weapons the Greek use with their F-16’s.

On the other hand, if the offer from Dassault is again 20% lower than the Ef2000, Dassault can pay the integration of most weapons for the RAfale and stay cheaper.

If I was a pilot, I might be a little worried by this phrase (from the original report)

“This plane is a good plane in the opinion of all its pilots, if not the best in its class,” said the chief executive of Dassault Aviation, Charles Edelstenne, in April.

Most chief Execs normally tend to be very bullish about their products, but clearly not this one. Perhaps this lost something in the translation

We spoke about that “issue” on several forums.
Since no french have seen anything wrong with that, I think it’s just a problem either with marketing habits, either of linguistic.

Swerve

No, prime minister can be allowed too (Mr Michel Rocard in early 90s) 🙂

Good, let them compete with French and Russian technology. We all know how people are lined up to buy those Rafales :diablo:

Just as if your argument was revelant :rolleyes:

BTW Olivier Dassault said that Dassault Aviation is still in touch with Marocco for a future sale.