The second phase of Salaam (another batch) is still years away. I looked very hard at Farnborough, and I know that many of the ‘usual suspects’ did, too. Talking to MoDSAP people, DESO folk, and industry, it seemed clear to me that to talk of further Saudi aircraft is premature, and that other orders are much more likely in the near term.

From the tone of the article is seems the Times are using the possibility of a future sales to drag up the bribery scandal again..!, or is that being too cynical?

As for the Japanese what are the latest tidbits from over there regarding their thinking?, I personally think the Typhoon has a small chance but the US dominance in Japan is going to be hard to overcome.
cheers

BAE in new £20bn Saudi arms deal]

BAE SYSTEMS is in talks to sell dozens more Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia in a deal that will reawaken bribery allegations made over earlier arms sales to the Gulf kingdom.

Senior defence-industry sources said last week the negotiations, which have been under way for some months, have been given added impetus by a controversial House of Lords decision last month.

The Lords said the Serious Fraud Office had been right to suspend a probe into alleged bribery, reversing an earlier Court of Appeal decision.

BAE, Britain’s largest defence contractor, may provide as many as 70 extra combat aircraft to the Saudis, although some defence industry executives say the contract is likely to be for 48.

source
Times online

and

Japan to delay fighter RFP once again

Japan is likely to delay a request for proposals for its F-X competition to 2009, with the ministry of defence instead seeking funds to accelerate an upgrade programme for its existing Boeing F-15Js.

A tender to replace the Japan Air Self-Defence Force’s McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms was due in 2007, but it was pushed to 2008 as Tokyo unsuccessfully lobbied the USA to release information on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.

Both the Pentagon and Lockheed are bound by the Obey Amendment, which bars the export of the F-22’s sensitive stealth technology. The issue is not a priority for US politicians, who are concentrating on November’s presidential and congressional elections.

While Japan continues to press for information on the F-22, industry sources say that there is a grudging acceptance in Tokyo that it is unlikely to succeed. Early next year it is likely to turn its attention to other fighters and issue an RFP that excludes the F-22.

The favourite would then be the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, but the first deliveries are not until 2012 and there are fears that this could slip. It is also unclear where Japan would fit in the delivery schedule, given that the programme’s original partners will have first priority. The earliest, estimates a Tokyo-based source, is around 2016 and that is off Japan’s F-X delivery timetable by around three years.

If Japan is willing to wait, it could then buy around 40 different fighters as an interim measure. It has received information on the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, although Boeing’s offering of either the latest version of the F-15 or the F/A-18E/F and the company’s long-standing relationship with Japan would make it a favourite.

The more likely choice is an F-15 that “combines the attributes of those ordered by Singapore and South Korea, with a little bit extra thrown in”, says one Tokyo-based industry source. “Given that Japan already operates F-15s, albeit the older versions, it would make sense to induct a platform that is already familiar to the JASDF.”

Source Flight Global

Cheers

I was under the impression from what Jon Lake and Jwcook said over at the Eurofighter forum – that the Typhoon could SC with no externals at Mach 1.5 – but not at the EF GmbH definition of “clean”? Id be happy to be proved wrong however :).

Mach 1.5 is under optimum conditions, i.e. under half internal fuel, no external under wing stores, and could have the conformal missiles as these make very little difference.

An interesting aside I had heard/read that the external under wing Asraams add very little to the RCS. can’t remember where, but if any one else remembers that would be nice…

Cheers.

First I’ll need some hookers, hidden cameras, some offshore accounts, and as much dirt on the decision makers as possible..

Ok thats the middle east sorted.

Then I’d buy as many congressmen as possible to ‘lobby’, set up factories in states that ‘swing’, and then stamp US flags all over the thing.

That sorts out the US.

Hmm then I’d find out exactly what it is I’m selling..

Caveat its only a joke

Well if you want to bring ethics into it.. then there may be bigger things than passing faked pictures off as genuine in brochures especially if your an arms company..

Such as Bribes, coercion, espionage, politics, corruption….
or selling arms to know human right violators (and wow hasn’t that list has got a lot longer since Guantanamo…!!)

As an ethical businesses go – arms company’s operate on the fringe.. LOL

So an arms company who does it to sell it product is OK and as such that’s just business…But individuals that use PS to permanently deceive are just plain liars…:).

Cheers

You almost gave sferrin a heart-attck with that one…:D

EEK – That was never my intention…
As for motivation – All I ever wanted was a few “HOLY F$%Ks” and then the realisation that it was a con.. that’s why the names were dead giveaway’s. ie.. ‘Major Hu Behadd’ 😀 that one made me chuckle

I was wondering what I had pasted on the bottom of the PS piccy, I can’t read Chinese and I hoped it was something appropriate..
If anyone knows I’d be grateful for a rough translation.

I often wonder at others motivation when they do it, is it just to fool people ???.

Cheers

Now i may be putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 5 but…

source blackpool gazette

The Government has yet to indicate when it will sign up for the last phase of the deal. (tranche 3)

There has been speculation that Typhoons built in the first phase of the scheme could be sold off to overseas airforces to fund Tranche Three.

Mr Jack asked: “Can the Secretary of State confirm that the discussions of senior officers in the RAF and the MoD about the possible sale of some Tranche One Eurofighter aircraft to help to fund Tranche Three are continuing?

Now does the Oman link fit in here?

cheers