IAF Rafale News and Discussions - 26 May 2015

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 22 Sep 2016 01:06

How Indian Negotiators Brought Down The Price Of Rafale Jets

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 22 Sep 2016 04:13

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 447844.cms
India to ink mega Rafale fighter deal with France on Friday
Rajat Pandit | TNN | Updated: Sep 21, 2016, 10.17 PM IST
NEW DELHI: India will finally ink+ the deal for direct acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France on Friday, in what will be an urgently-needed booster dose for the country's dwindling air combat power. IAF, after all, is down to just 33 fighter squadrons when at least 42 are required for dissuasive deterrence against China and Pakistan.
Defence ministry sources on Wednesday said the decks have been cleared+ for the inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with France after the requisite clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by PM Narendra Modi.
The IGA and associated commercial protocols will be inked on Friday in the presence of defence minister Manohar Parrikar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is slated to arrive on Thursday night.
The overall cost of the 36 twin-engine Rafales+ , along with their weapon packages, associated supplies and logistics, is pegged at around 7.8 billion euros (over Rs 59,000 crore), as earlier reported by TOI.
The first omni-role Rafale, also capable of delivering nuclear weapons, will touch down in India within three years. "All 36 jets will be delivered in 66 months. India will pay around 15% (around Rs 9,000 crore) as the first instalment," said a source.....
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/15153 ... r-jet-deal
Indian ministers approve Rafale fighter jet deal
NEW DELHI: -An Indian cabinet commitee gave its approval Wednesday to a long-delayed deal for the purchase of 36 fighter jets from France´s Dassault, as the country looks to counter China´s growing military clout.
A senior defence ministry official said Prime Minister Narendra Modi´s cabinet committee on security had given its green light to the multi-billion dollar Rafale jet purchase at a meeting in New Delhi and that the defence ministers of both France and India would ink the agreement on Friday.
"The deal was approved at the meeting in the evening," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"It will now be formally signed by Indian and French defence ministers on September 23 in New Delhi," the senior official told AFP.
The official said that other details including the exact amount and formalities "will become clear after the signing event" which is expected to see French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian fly to the Indian capital.
Recent local media reports have said the Indian government has agreed to pay around $8.8 billion for the long-delayed deal. The purchase of the Rafale jets, to replace part of the country´s ageing air force fleet, was first mooted in 2012 but has faced major delays and obstacles over the last four years.
India entered exclusive negotiations on buying 126 Rafale jets four years ago, but the number of planes was scaled back in tortuous negotiations over the cost and assembly of the planes in India.
Modi announced on a visit to Paris last year that his government had agreed to buy the jets as India looks to modernise its Soviet-era military and keep up with neighbouring Pakistan and China.
But the deal continued to be held back by disagreements such as Delhi´s insistence that arms makers invest a percentage of the value of any major deal in India, known as the offset clause.
French President Francois Hollande again pushed the deal on a visit to India in January, when he was Modi´s guest for the Republic Day celebrations, but officials privately acknowledged that the price had become a sticking point.......

Gautam

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 22 Sep 2016 05:10

Posting in Full :

http://bharatshakti.in/how-indian-negot ... %E2%80%8B/

How Indian Negotiators Brought Down The Price Of Rafale Jets

| September 21, 2016; By: Nitin A Gokhale |

If India has not bought a single piece of artillery for over 28 years, the story is as dismal for the fleet of combat jets. No new fighter planes have been procured by the Indian Air Force (IAF) since the beginning of this century. That long wait for a new fighter plane to replace the ageing Mig-21s and beef up the depleting combat fleet, about to get over on Friday with India and France set to sign a 7.878 billion Euros contract with Dassault Aviation to supply 36 Rafale jet fighters.

All 36 planes will be delivered to India in a span of 66 months.

India will receive the 1st Rafale fighter jet within three years of signing the agreement, sources in the negotiating team have told Bharatshkati.in.

These fighter jets will have at least a dozen India-specific enhancements to suit the requirements of the IAF. The contract will also include state-of-the-art missiles like Meteor and Scalp that will give the IAF a capability that had been sorely missing in its arsenal.

The Meteor, for instance is a BVR (Beyond Visual Range) air-to-air missile with a range in excess of 150 km. Its integration on the Rafale jets will mean the IAF can hit targets inside both Pakistan and Tibet while still staying within India’s own territorial boundary. Scalp, a long-range air-to-ground cruise missile with a range in excess of 300 km also gives the IAF an edge over its adversaries.

The weapons platform apart, the MoD-IAF negotiating team extracted many concessions and discounts to arrive at a price that is almost 750 million less than what was being quoted by the French side in January 2016, when the commercial negotiations gathered pace, almost seven months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India’s intention to buy 36 Rafales off the shelf from France during his trip to Paris in April 2015.

In January this year, a day before French President François Hollande and Prime Minister Modi were to jointly issue a statement during the French President’s visit to India , the French side had quoted a price of 8.6 billion Euros. Not willing to accept what was seen as a high price, the Indian team refused to close the deal, forcing the two leaders to issue a statement which talked about finalising the deal without the price. hollande-and-modi-newsx-com

To bring down the cost, the Indian team asked French officials to calculate the deal on actual cost (Price as on today) plus European Inflation Indices (which varies like stock markets and is currently around 1 per cent per annum). The MoD has also capped the European Inflation Indices to maximum 3.5 per cent a year. In other words, if inflation Indices goes down (chances of it going down are more, looking at the current situation of European markets) India will have to pay less. Even if it goes up India will not pay more than 3.5 per cent increase.

In the now scrapped process for buying 126 Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) floated the confusion reigned supreme in calculating the cost of the contract. After the French Dassault Aviation—makers of the Rafale Jet—emerged winners the UPA government had agreed with French officials to calculate the price on the fixed cost formula that allowed the company to include additional price of 3.9 per cent Inflation Indices from day 1 of the deal. So, had the India gone ahead with the UPA deal and the European Inflation Indices had fallen (as it indeed has), India would have ended up paying additional cost of inflation Indices (@3.9 per cent) which was already added at the initial negotiation itself. Moreover, there was confusion on the calculation of the basic price itself.

In the original MMRCA proposal the first batch of 18 planes which were to be manufactured in France and 108 were to be manufactured in India. However, when negotiations for the cost of 108 fighters began, it was discovered that the cost would go up substantially (in fact to the tune of Rs 150 crore per plane) since the cost the labour man hours in India were 2.7 times higher than in France! Moreover, then Defence Minister AK Antony had put down on file a remark that the negotiating team must come back to him before finalising the contract, creating more confusion for the negotiators. Clearly, with these factors, the fact that the French Company had emerged as the lowest bidder in itself had come under a cloud!

The current MoD team on the other hand extracted several other discounts. For instance, Dassault will have to ensure that at least 75 per cent of the entire fleet remains operational at any given time. This warranty is signed for the first five years. A comparative analysis will show that only about 60 per cent of India’s frontline fighters, the Sukhoi-30 fleet remains operational at any given time in the current scenario.

Till three years ago, only about 48 per cent of the Sukhoi fleet was able to fly at any given time, because of poor maintenance. Called the Performance-based Logistics Support, this clause can be extended by the user (the IAF) at the same cost as today for another two years with an option that the same terms can be applied for an additional five years at an additional cost that is negotiable.

Three other minor but important concessions include free training for nine IAF personnel, including three pilots; additional guarantee for 60 hours of usage of training aircraft for Indian pilots and six months of free weapons storage without charge (in case the Indian infrastructure is not ready for storing the weapons). The three concessions alone would make substantial saving for India, sources pointed out.

Vivek K · Post by **Vivek K** » 22 Sep 2016 07:03

And five years later it will be disclosed that to keep the price down, they separated some costs from the main contract!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 22 Sep 2016 07:15

Same as t90 deal

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 22 Sep 2016 08:40

See. I told you there is so much more to discuss. Now we have something to look forward to on this thread for the next 5 years. I would say that BRF is going downhill if this thread is locked.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 22 Sep 2016 08:43

Rakesh wrote:^ my hope that there is no accusations of bribery which will bring even the 36 birds to a halt.

Why. BRF can be "ahead of curve" and make the accusation of bribery right here. We already know that armed forces and government are corrupt from ahead of curve posts that have been hosted on this thread for half a decade

sivab · Post by **sivab** » 22 Sep 2016 08:58

Nitin A. Gokhale ‏@nitingokhale 11h11 hours ago
Cost of 36 jets:3402 m €
Associate Supplies:1800 m
India Specific enhancements:1700m
Performance based Logistics:353m
Weapon package:710m€

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 22 Sep 2016 09:38

Manish_Sharma wrote:The current MoD team on the other hand extracted several other discounts. For instance, Dassault will have to ensure that at least 75 per cent of the entire fleet remains operational at any given time. This warranty is signed for the first five years. A comparative analysis will show that only about 60 per cent of India’s frontline fighters, the Sukhoi-30 fleet remains operational at any given time in the current scenario.

We need to standardise this for any future agreement where at an extra cost and procurement of spares (Performance based Logistics * Associate Supplies ) we get guranteed uptimes at any given time.

Rafales guranteed uptime of 75 % would be atleast 23-25 aircraft will be operational at any point in time.

habal · Post by **habal** » 22 Sep 2016 10:03

Rakesh wrote:^ my hope that there is no accusations of bribery which will bring even the 36 birds to a halt.

Only a 'statesman' like AKA will block a deal on slightest hint of corruption. Like a competitor sending a letter to the ministry that the company that got the contract bribed someone. It's the prerogative of the minister to halt acquisition and launch an investigation.

I doubt Parikkar has such fetish with white mundu.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Sep 2016 11:33

The deal would've been a better one if we had a lease for at least one sqd immediately from French assets,returnable when new aircraft were delivered.That was done with the SU-30 deal.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 22 Sep 2016 11:47

^ We are getting better deal, free training for pilots and ground crew.

I am happy that even after so much push from PMO, our system negotiates so hard, it proves that we get best possible deal unlike other nations eg. egypt etc.

Such small things have been negotiated that , in case weapons arrive but our infra isn't ready, then dassault will stock them for us without charging.

I think lot more tidbits will be released by establishment in next coming days. For example if Scalp really is purchased with Meteor?

Production history
Manufacturer MBDA
Unit cost £790,000[1]
Specifications
Weight 1,300 kilograms (2,866.0 lb)
Length 5.1 metres (16.7 ft)
Diameter 0.48 metres (1.6 ft)
Warhead 450 kg BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge)
Engine Turbomeca Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet, producing 5.4 kN thrust
Wingspan 2.84 metres (9.3 ft)
Operational
range
300+nm (560+km) Lo-Lo profile [2][N 1]
Flight altitude 30 metres (98.4 ft)–40 metres (131.2 ft)
Speed 1,000 km/h Mach 0.8
Guidance
system
Inertial, GPS and TERPROM. Terminal guidance using imaging infrared DSMAC
Launch
platform

Panavia Tornado
Mirage 2000
Dassault Rafale
Eurofighter Typhoon (from 2015)
Note:

After release, the wings deploy and the weapon navigates its way to the target at low level using terrain profile matching and an integrated Global Positioning System (GPS). - Royal Air Force Oct 2014

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 Sep 2016 03:07

So its cruise missile with a turbojet engine than a turbo fan. Can hope for Nirbhay type missile in future.
BROACH is a tandem warhead for penetrating hardened aircraft shelters.
It has shaped charge and a follow on unitary warhead.

From Wiki:

Weight 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb)[3]
Length 6 m (20 ft)
Diameter 0.52 m (1.7 ft)
Warhead conventional or nuclear
Engine turbofan
Wingspan 2.84 m (9.3 ft)
Operational range 1,000 km (620 mi) - 1,500 km (930 mi)[1][4][5]
Speed Mach 0.8–Mach 0.9[6]
Guidance system INS IRNSS

Description

Nirbhay is an all-weather, low-cost, long-range cruise missile capable of carrying conventional and nuclear war heads. The missile has a range of more than 1000 km, weighs about 1500 kg and has a length of 6 metres.[8] The missile is powered by a solid rocket booster for take off which is developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL). Upon reaching the required velocity and height, Turbofan engine in the missile takes over for further propulsion. The missile is guided by a highly advanced inertial navigation system indigenously developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and a radio altimeter for the height determination.[9]

Nirbhay is able to pick out a target and attack it among multiple targets. The missile has a loitering capability, i.e., it can go round a target and perform several manoeuvres and then re-engage it.[10] With two side wings, the missile is capable of flying at different altitudes ranging from 500 m to 4 km above the ground and can also fly at low altitudes (like low tree level) to avoid detection by enemy radar.[11][12] It is capable of delivering 24 different types of warheads depending on mission requirements and uses an inertial navigation system for guidance.[13] The missile supplements Brahmos by delivering warheads farther

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 23 Sep 2016 03:11

23-25 Aircraft.
Silver bullet force in all but name.
NaMo and Parrikar must and should increase the buy to at least 70 airframes, giving us 50 available aircraft, which can at least be broken upto 4 detachments of 12 aircraft each.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 Sep 2016 03:15

KaranM, I think the Indian mods are to fly the Nirbhay eventually. The specs look similar.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 23 Sep 2016 03:18

Having said that, a couple of Rafales in a mixed formation of Sukhois + carrying Meteorrs can be deadly.
The Su-30 MKIs detect the bogeys at max range using the N011M at peak power. Datalink the information to the Rafale's via the ODL, operational data link. The information is then transferred to the Rafales. These then accelerate and launch the Meteor @ optimum range, turning on their radars only for optimal fix & guiding the missiles in. The escorts accompanying the AEW&C scatter, in order to avoid the Meteors. The Su-30s then accelerate to full afterburner and launch a bunch of Astra's, R-27 IRs at the AEW &C. In the meantime, a few low flying Mirages "pop up", again using data from datalink and take opportune shots against the opponent force using Mica-IRs which are against targets silhouetted against the clear sky & hence provide good contrast for the BVR ranged, IIR missiles.

Result - mission success for the IAF force.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 23 Sep 2016 03:20

In Air to Ground - IAF gets to know a missile strike is imminent, say NASR. Valhalla of Su-30 and Rafale is launched. Su-30 detect targets at range using LOROP pods. Information is datalinked to Rafale strike force. Rafales streak in & use Radar SAR capability to get fine fix on specific targets & each Rafale targets 6 targets with AASM hammers. Su-30s, just before in the meantime launch NARGMs or Kh-31s to suppress AD.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 23 Sep 2016 03:23

Air to Air - another scenario. Mixed formation of Su-30 and Rafales. Against Flankers. Again N011M at peak power to get initial ranges, even TWS information is datalinked to the Rafale team. Rafale team bounces the higher flying Flankers with a combination of Mica-IRs cued by IRST while the Su-30s launch Astras at range. The standard tactic against AAMs practised by many AFs is to turn & dive to avoid RF missiles while jamming. Increase range & closure & introduce clutter. In this case, they run head on into Mica-IRs launched passive.

This is after Meteors are used to force a breakup of the AWACs force which would usually support air operations.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 23 Sep 2016 03:27

There is little doubt the presence of the Rafale & Mirage 2000 with common weapons - Mica IR and RF, and Rafale with Meteor will add significant punch to IAF.

Only key issue is lack of multi-frequency radars to handle LO threats in the 2030 timeframe, when the J-20 will be in significant service.
AF can either introduce non standard AWACs - UHF E2 is a perfect example, or work on introducing GaN based systems in the L-Band on Project India for significantly higher power output. That with higher aperture will be required to give 200 km ranges for J-20 class platforms which then need to be targeted by Indian fighters using IRST.

Karthik S · Post by **Karthik S** » 23 Sep 2016 03:34

Was about to ask about PAF Flankers.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 23 Sep 2016 03:35

I mean PRC.

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 23 Sep 2016 03:35

But they might get J-11 in future.. so who knows.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 23 Sep 2016 03:49

Philips, can you tell how many Rafale (type - c/d/e/f?) does French airforce have? And why would one nation jeopardize their small numbered force to satisfy a delivery that might take 2 years. France is more vulnerable to a war or as close as we are to jihad

Rakesh · Post by **Rakesh** » 23 Sep 2016 04:51

Philip wrote:The deal would've been a better one if we had a lease for at least one sqd immediately from French assets,returnable when new aircraft were delivered.That was done with the SU-30 deal.

The IAF did the same for the Jaguar as well.

Karan M wrote:23-25 Aircraft.
Silver bullet force in all but name.
NaMo and Parrikar must and should increase the buy to at least 70 airframes, giving us 50 available aircraft, which can at least be broken upto 4 detachments of 12 aircraft each.

You can be certain that the option to purchase an additional 18 will be taken up. That will bring it to 54 aircraft. 70 would be nice though. I like your math.

SaiK wrote:Philips, can you tell how many Rafale (type - c/d/e/f?) does French airforce have? And why would one nation jeopardize their small numbered force to satisfy a delivery that might take 2 years. France is more vulnerable to a war or as close as we are to jihad

As per wiki, the French Air Force has 91 Rafale C (single seater) and Rafale B (two seater). The French Naval Aviation has 44 Rafale M ((single seater). I am assuming the latter uses the Rafale B for training.

France is vulnerable to terrorist attacks from ISIS, not a war from a country that has an established air force. In India, it is the other way around (but also has to deal with terrorism). They can afford to easily divert the airframes under production - as they did for the Egyptian order, with the nuclear plumbing removed - for export orders. They can barely afford the airframes that Dassault is producing right now. Export orders are a boon for the French Air Force, they don't have to allocate money for new airframes every now and then. Export orders also help the French Air Force in economies of scale. Produce airframes - to keep costs lower - while not having to buy them. Once the export orders are completed (36 for India, 24 for Egypt and 24 for Qatar) the French Air Force will then get their remaining new airframes, at the same or lower cost...with inflation of course.

France To Modify Rafales for Egypt

The Rafale fighter jets sold to Egypt will be modified to remove nuclear missile capability and NATO standard communications, a source close to the deal said....One of the Rafale upgrades to F3 standard in 2008 was the air-sol moyenne portée améliorée (ASMP-A) missile tipped with the TN-200 nuclear warhead. That capability will be taken off the fighters for Egypt.

I presume the same will be done for the Indian airframes as well, but unlike the Egyptian & Qatar ones, I am sure France will leave the door open to put our own missiles - Brahmos or Nirbhay - on.

If India plays her cards right - and Modi has already shown that quite well in the current Rafale deal - HAL (or a private company) could set up an overhaul/spares manufacturing hub in India to keep the IAF's Rafale availability high. That Indian company could also do the same for Egypt and Qatar. This could be a great bonanza for India. Yes the French will make money, but India could also enjoy from the same plate.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 23 Sep 2016 05:21

ramana wrote:KaranM, I think the Indian mods are to fly the Nirbhay eventually. The specs look similar.

Ramana ji, what is the warhead weight of Nirbhay? Wiki doesn't say.

SCALP EG has :
Weight: 1,300 kilograms
Warhead: 450 kg
Range: 300+nm (560+km) Lo-Lo profile at Flight altitude 30 metres

Speed : 1,000 km/h Mach 0.8

While Nirbhay though only 200 kg heavier has double the range = 1000 km

I wonder it would be possible to make smaller fuel tank and use that space to put heavier warhead?

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 23 Sep 2016 07:11

Look at how the Indian govt is bahind in global stds.
Even the private business is lagging in global negotiation and needs training on this.
HBS has a course just for Indian on Dealmaking

Indian Defense Military Buyers to Go Back to Negotiating School

India finds itself in a tight spot as many agreements pertaining to defense procurement are yet to be translated into actual deals, resulting in negotiators losing their confidence.

India's failure to resolve the deadlock with France on the proposed procurement of Rafale fighter jets has translated into a realization by the Defense Ministry that it needs to hone the negotiating skills of its officials. The Ministry is devising a special course for its negotiators. "We need to build upon our negotiation skills and we are working on that as we are trying to work out courses for enhancing negotiation skills of all those who are dealing with procurement," Air Vice-Marshal M. Baladitya said. ©

India Set to Miss Another Promise Over Rafale Fighter Jet Deal After officials appointed as negotiators failed to push the Indian bargain in the deal over purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets, Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar himself has taken over the case and is directly in talks with the French Embassy in New Delhi to find a way out of the deadlock, said a source. It’s not only the Rafale procurement which is showing problems, there are a number of other defense deals, the future of which hang in balance in want of fruitful negotiations.

Earlier this year, India's Ministry of Defense had set up a nine-member expert committee to suggest ways to overcome the hiccups plaguing various deals and to restructure the acquisition wing of the ministry. According to officials, in last two years, 110 contracts worth $18 billion have been signed while 101 Acceptance of Necessities have been accorded worth $36 billion. But this figure is not reflected in actual deals signed by the government with most currently hanging in the balance.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 23 Sep 2016 08:17

Manish_Sharma wrote:Posting in Full :

http://bharatshakti.in/how-indian-negot ... %E2%80%8B/

How Indian Negotiators Brought Down The Price Of Rafale Jets

In the original MMRCA proposal the first batch of 18 planes which were to be manufactured in France and 108 were to be manufactured in India. However, when negotiations for the cost of 108 fighters began, it was discovered that the cost would go up substantially (in fact to the tune of Rs 150 crore per plane) since the cost the labour man hours in India were 2.7 times higher than in France! Moreover, then Defence Minister AK Antony had put down on file a remark that the negotiating team must come back to him before finalising the contract, creating more confusion for the negotiators. Clearly, with these factors, the fact that the French Company had emerged as the lowest bidder in itself had come under a cloud!

Defence Minister AK Antony had made a provision to get the hafta before the deal is signed!

deejay · Post by **deejay** » 23 Sep 2016 11:36

For general interest

http://nitinagokhale.blogspot.in/2016/0 ... hat-i.html

The story behind the story on Rafale that I broke

Last year in April, I almost ignored one of the biggest tip-offs I have received as a journalist but managed to put it up on my blog 12 hours after I first heard about it.

The story begins on the morning of 9 April 2015, around 1130 am when I bumped into a top defence source at the domestic airport in Delhi who casually mentioned that a decision has been taken by the government to buy the Rafale combat jets off the shelf from France, scrapping an ongoing process that was going nowhere.

I heard the source say that between 60 and 63 jets were to be bought. Apparently, the decision was taken at a special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to depart for France. A few hours after that we had this accidental meeting at the airport.

My 'news antennae' was immediately up and I had no doubt about the authenticity of the new since the source was top class but as luck would have it, I had back-to-back appointments that day culminating in a dinner at an embassy. Since I was by now freelancing, I wasn't sure who among the news outlets would believe me with such a massive news break. So I hesitated and kept the information with me.Until about 10.45 at night.

As I got into the car for a 45-minute journey home, it struck me that this gold standard info should not go unreported. What if some one else also reports it in tomorrow morning's newspaper,I thought to myself and started writing furiously on my I-phone.

Reaching home around 1130, I decided to put up the news on my own blog. So about 10 minutes to midnight on 9 April ( now I see the time was actually 1153 pm), I published this (http://nitinagokhale.blogspot.in/2015/0 ... ikely.html) blog post, sticking my neck out.

All hell broke loose in the aviation circles across the world around midnight IST as I tweeted the link to the piece. Many enquiries were made, many Direct Messages on twitter were exchanged and it wasn't until about 4 am that I could sleep.

Waking up later than usual the next day (10 April), I scanned the morning newspaper for any news on Rafale and sure enough one of the Delhi papers had more or less the same information as I had.

The South Block, headquarter of India's Ministry of Defence (MoD), was--friends on the defence beat said--swarming with reporters of international news agencies and newspapers that afternoon, trying to confirm the news. Indian Air Force officials and the MoD Spokesperson were inundated with calls trying to verify the news put out by me and another newspaper about the decision on Rafale. No one seem to have any idea. Our reports were in fact run down by established celebrity defence analysts as fanciful and unrealistic. To be honest, I did feel bit uneasy but kept the faith since I had got the news from someone who had an inside track in the government.

As the day progressed, one hint of that there was indeed the possibility of a deal being announced came through a report from Paris which quoted Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirming that talks were on on this issue.

I felt slightly assured.

But it was not until past 10 pm Indian time--nearly 23 hours after I had taken a chance to put out what looked liked an improbable news at that time--that I could heave a sigh of relief. Prime Minister Modi announced at a joint press conference with French President Francois Hollande that he had asked France to supply 36 Rafale planes in ready to fly condition (http://in.reuters.com/article/india-fra ... OL20150410).

I had got the numbers wrong however. I had said India may buy 60 to 63 Rafales. It turned out that the numbers were to be restricted to 36.

Since then, in the last 17 months, despite what many naysayers said, my sources in the IAF and MoD negotiating team kept insisting that the deal would go through and go through on India's terms.

In some hours from now, the Indian and the French Defence Ministers will witness the signing of the formal contract. India has got its way in many respects ( http://bharatshakti.in/how-indian-negot ... %E2%80%8B/) but skeptics will still have doubts.

For the sake of the country's security and for the IAF to remain a potent force, let's wish the main protagonists good luck.

manjgu · Post by **manjgu** » 23 Sep 2016 11:49

is meteor laready in IAF service? or will come with Rafale...

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 23 Sep 2016 11:55

It should come with Rafale , The end game energy afforded by a Ramjet powered A2A missile would mean that long range engagement against a manouvering target who probably knows he is under attack much beyond the advertised range of current solid fuel missile would be very effective giving Rafale an edge in any BVR engagement

I read Meteor uses Ducted Ramjet where energy can be used efficiently in various flight regimes and profile of the missile

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 23 Sep 2016 12:32

This sealing of the deal will keep some vested interests v.unhappy who were trying to sneak in with offers of antique wares.However,given the situ with Pak right now,one is sure that the MOD will be pushing all buttons to see that the services get as much eqpt.,etc that they need before the balloon goes up.

Manish_Sharma · Post by **Manish_Sharma** » 23 Sep 2016 12:39

deejay wrote:For general interest

http://nitinagokhale.blogspot.in/2016/0 ... hat-i.html

The story behind the story on Rafale that I broke

Last year in April, I almost ignored one of the biggest tip-offs I have received as a journalist but managed to put it up on my blog 12 hours after I first heard about it.

Deejay jee, BRF was much ahead of curve from Mr. Nitin Gokhale also :

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6343&p=1694285#p1693932

Klaus wrote:The new dispensation in New Delhi will not cancel the Rafale deal entirely, they will choose to halve the deal for IAF while purchasing the Rafale-M for the IN in numbers.

The IAF/IN's air-arm will continue to remain a menagerie for the short term.

manjgu · Post by **manjgu** » 23 Sep 2016 12:42

what is the degree of commonality between Rafale/M2000 ??

VishalJ · Post by **VishalJ** » 23 Sep 2016 13:14

Badhai ho, Katrina bhabhi hui hai

12 saal lambi sagai ke baad, aur 1-2 saal mey bahu ghar aayegi.

Dassault Aviation
https://twitter.com/Dassault_OnAir/stat ... 4718848000

Done ! Rafale India

More PR rep written sugar coated churan here: http://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/das ... 36-rafale/

Will · Post by **Will** » 23 Sep 2016 13:28

And so begins the rafale saga

. Well at least its done. Now on to the additional MMRCA requirements.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 23 Sep 2016 13:42

imo after the first batch of instructor pilots are trained in france, it ought to be possible to loan some 6 a/c from french stock to form the first squadron pool of pilots and develop our procedures.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 23 Sep 2016 14:15

Which Indian weapons will be integrated on Rafale

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Sep 2016 14:22

Dassault Aviation Press Release announcing sale of Rafale to India:

Dassault Aviation welcomes the acquisition by India of 36 Rafale
AM | 1 hour ago

Read more at http://www.stockhouse.com/news/press-re ... AINT-CLOUD, France, Sept. 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- France and India signed today the contract for the acquisition of 36 Rafale by India.

The conclusion of this contract comes after the announcement by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during his visit to Paris in April 2015, of his desire to rapidly equip the Indian Air Force with 36 Rafale. This desire was reiterated during the visit to India by French President, François Hollande, in January 2016. The French Minister of Defence, Mr Jean-Yves le Drian and his Indian counterpart, Mr Manohar Parrikar, were instrumental in advancing this project during the course of their numerous exchanges.

Following on from the Mirage 2000, whose effective service with the Indian Air Force played a major role in establishing the reputation of Dassault aircraft, the Rafale was chosen by India in 2012 following a competitive bidding process initiated in 2007. The Rafale has been used by the French armed forces in combat operations for more than a decade now and has proven its operational excellence in various theatres around the world.

This new contract illustrates the strategic relationship and the exemplary partnership maintained between the two countries and marks the natural culmination of the relationship of trust initiated in 1953 when India became Dassault Aviation's first export customer.

This further success of the Rafale confirms the technological know-how and competences of Dassault Aviation's employees and of its 500 industrial partners. It rewards the work done by a close-knit "France" team. It represents a decisive step forward in achieving Dassault Aviation's goal of establishing itself in India with a view to developing wide-ranging cooperation under the "Make in India" policy promoted by Mr Narendra Modi.

"I am honoured and delighted by the decision of the Indian Authorities which gives new impetus to our partnership for the coming decades and I thank them for their confidence. Together, Indian and French companies alike, we will endeavour to ensure ambitious industrial cooperation. I am certain that the Rafale and its performance will hold high the colours of the Indian Air Force. It will demonstrate unstinting efficiency in protecting the people of India and the sovereignty of the world's largest democracy", declared Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO.

About the Rafale:
The Rafale is a twin-jet fighter aircraft able to operate from both an aircraft carrier and a shore base. The fully versatile Rafale is able to carry out all combat aviation missions: air defence, interception, ground support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence. The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006. It has proven its worth in combat in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria. In 2015, Egypt and Qatar have each ordered 24 Rafale. On 30 June 2016, 152 Rafale aircraft had been delivered.

Clicky

VishalJ · Post by **VishalJ** » 23 Sep 2016 14:25

Arun, i already linked the press release in the original post

Vishal Jolapara wrote:
More PR rep written sugar coated churan here: http://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/das ... 36-rafale/

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Sep 2016 14:37

Oops, My Bad Vishal.