Tend to agree. A lot of people tend to see only what they want to see. There is obviously and not so surprisingly a lobbying from Russia to amplify or invent any cracks/issues in the process, both as an opportunity to come back in the game and to follow through on their threats following the Mistral deal decision. Some media in India are all too eager to be on their, payroll (MMRCA cancelled, mig sales to substitute to Rafale, exploding cost of the contract,…. to name a few (all from un-named sources of course )
Now this said, it remains clear there is a stand off situation. HAL making a statement that they are ready to guarantee what they produce, is a significant first step. Problem is, that is not what the committee,is expecting. What is expected is the same quality guarantees for plane produced from France or India. This tend to imply the HAL guarantee is considered insufficient, and that Dassault, guarantee is expected. This would eventually be possible ,given the same tools, process, control quality than currently used in France, are deployed and implemented verifiably. This is where the problem lay, since Dassault will not have that control power over HAL.
Some other considerations to incorporate. Dassault is not desesperate to maintain its production line. The 11 planes/year is guaranteed. French government is on the other hand hard pressed to delay paying 11 planes / year ,by substituting own order with export ones. This is now partly done thanks to Egypt deal, so pressure there is much less now.
Second thing is Dassault and its subcontractors are genuinely looking for new and alternate network of partners and subcontractors to current ones, since current ones would very much like to switch and use their equipment and assets to more lucrative markets ,producing for Airbus hundred parts instead , without the disturbance of committing 11 rafale parts a year or 22 or even 33 would there be enough exports to triple the current cadence. So arguably Dassault is willing,to succeed in India, and for reasons that go beyond the MMCA alone. But not at all and unreasonable cost.
100% agree
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