I’ve got a few mods in mine 🙁

Nic

Problem being to maintain 2 fleet..a cruel dilemma,in those time of crisis. Maybe combining CAS and training ,or better yet a shared pool of small birds, each participating countries supplying the pilots. That should reduce cost and be less of a dilemma, while being clearly interesting for low intensity actions

So when your neighbour starts a war your pilots go and fight his war?

WTF people?

Is NATO the new comintern or something?

Nic

Nicholas10, isn’t this justification after the fact? The French wanted in on a joint european project at the start. In the end it can be said that the Rafale suffered far less from the fact the customer’s requirements were coming from one ministry rather than several.

Indeed, which is why I am against cooperation, except limited bilateral cooperation projects limited in scope.

You don’t genuinely think that there is (or was ever) going to be a solely French UCAV do you? Really? I think the same about a UK UCAV (what with sovereignty issues and the nice thought that your country is actually secretly very good at stealth and UAV tech).

I see no reason not to. Don’t you think BAE could develop Taranis in a good project by themselves? Dassault should be able to develop the Neuron by itself if it was asked to. Since it has the lead of the project I don’t really mind there is cooperation, as long as Dassautl and french industry partners master every technology that is present in it.

Nic

Nicolas, please, keep your personnal opinion about politics for yourself, it’s not the point here.

It is very much linked to the topic, so I don’t know why I would keep it for myself. I definately won’t just because you say so.

That negociation with potential customers turn sour every time the french government is involved in the process, while at the same time the brother of your president (who was educated in the US, and who’s son has been studying in a military school in the US) works for an investment fund that basically owns LM is at least very curious.

The Rafale is the proof that doing a fighter 100% locally to preserve jobs and total independency is not only prossible, but actually gives you a better product than a fighter designed by compromise. So why the hell is all this insistance to cooperate with the UK on UAVs? Do you think Dassault wouldn’t be capable of designing a top notch UCAV? Why do we not take the lesson of the Rafale’s technical success to continue the way that works for our industry and our sovereignty?

About Marocco, no, it’s not “french governement”, it’s the total disorganisation, lack of cooperation between DA and DGA.
About India, are you sure you don’t forget the real political cooperation between our two countries ?
http://www.echoofarunachal.com/?p=4657

In India there was political support, but the french gvt wasn’t involved in a bilateral negociation process, since the buy was done through a competition. See the difference?

Nic

Are you guys so sure Sarkozy really wanted to sell the Rafale? A lot of noise was made. So much so that it stinks if you ask me. The same way he absolutely had to say that he loved France on his second campaign, because nobody could tell from watching is actions as president.

At the end of the day:
– UAE: big involvement from Sarkozy: no deal.
– Morocco: French goverment ruins what is almost a done deal
– Brazil: big involvement from Sarkozy: no deal.
– India: no political involvement: competition won and deal pending.

Meanwhile, Sarkozy’s brother probably loved it when Morocco bought LM F16s instead of Rafales.
http://www.carlyle.com/about-carlyle/team/p-olivier-sarkozy

Nic

Onoes. Pim Fortuyn, Louis Sévèke and Théo Van Gogh died for nothing?

[/sarcasm]

Nic

Again, Europe is NOT a country!

My 0,02 French Francs.

fighters – France (PAK-FA may change things we’ll see).
bombers – Russia
transports – Russia
missiles – Draw
avionics & radar – France
light helicopters – Europe
asw helicopters – Europe
utility helicopters – Draw
attack helicopters – Russia
trainers – Draw
airliners – Europe
SAM – Russia

Nic