Rafale never had $60-65m fly away cost. more than a a billion Euro is sent to Dassualt each year to produce 8 to 10 Rafale. this much money is needed to get Rafale from production line. and i presume Indian production line figures will be way higher due to lack of productivity.

Dassault assemble 11 Rafale a year. What is your source giving their cost as more than a a billion Euro?

100% price escalation on Rafale fighter aircraft to Rs 1.75 lakh crore likely to dent IAF’s strike capability

In January 2012, when Rafale was declared the winner, its price was quoted between $60-65 million (Rs373-Rs400 crore). A top defence ministry official said the price of a fighter jet made by Dassault could now cost $120 million (Rs746 crore). The second bidder, Eurofighter, had quoted $80-85 million (Rs497-Rs528 crore). [/I]

I find that there are many statements made by officials and IAF/ex-IAF personnel that later prove not to be correct. Who is the “top defence ministry official” quoted? Is he a reliable source with access to the numbers given?

UAE raises possible deal for “Block 61” F-16

I imagine that UAE has opted to buy another squadron+ of F-16 aircraft and in a few years will start looking again for aircraft to replace M2K. By that time Rafale may have some extra features/improvements that would avoid UAE needing to pay extra for those features/improvements.

Singapore to has signed an unannounced contract to purchase A330MRTT tanker according to Air&Cosmos (French) website

http://www.air-cosmos.com/defense/singapour-choisit-l-a330-mrtt-d-airbus.html

De sources gouvernementales et industrielles concordantes, Singapour aurait signé courant 2013 un contrat pour l’achat de six ravitailleurs A330 MRTT.

My loose translation: According to consistent governmental and industry sources Singapore is reported to have signed a contract for the purchase of 6 MRTT tankers in 2013.

If they wanted a F-16 class replacement, well.. the F-16 is still in production. No training hassles. Same support infrastructure. Transferable spares, munitions etc..

Indeed. The F-16 is an alternative. No axe to grind here – I’m curious why no existing European F-16 user is considering it. I imagine that it is because Gripen is a newer design with ongoing development guaranteed for decades to come.

…I certainly would not mind if my country purchased an US-made aircraft if it was in Gripen class when it comes to acquisition and operating cost.

Go back 10 years: that is what the European F-16 users chose to do. They planned to succeed F-16 with a later generation US frame with similar costs to F-16. Unfortunately years after that decision was taken – and despite constant assurances by LM that F-35 would meet that requirement – it became apparent that there was no later generation US frame with similar costs to F-16.

…But agreed, Euro-made stuff is preferred anytime, for obvious reasons. Gripen is the way to go for me.

Had the European F-16 users known that LM was feeding them false hopes of F-35 affordability they might have approached SAAB with a proposal for a share in producing a post Gripen C design (perhaps incorporating the Eurojet engine). Too late now. However since F-35 will mean severe cutbacks in other areas of defence budgets if it is acquired, Gripen still makes sense for Belgium, Denmark and The Netherlands IMO. OK, The Netherlands has bought a couple of F-35 aircraft but they only cost $67 million each if I recall LM correctly so it is better to write off that cost and switch to Gripen before any more of the defence budget is wasted.