International Fighter Competitions

[buglerbilly]

Further Twists Emerge In Fighter Competitions

Jun 30, 2010



By Robert Wall, Douglas Barrie
Paris and Washington, London and Linkoping, Sweden

Political and programmatic upheaval is shifting the ground under U.S. and European combat aircraft builders as they await the outcome of competitions in Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Japan is just one case in point. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Eurofighter are awaiting the release of a request for proposals to buy a new fighter to replace its F-4EJ Phantom.However, domestic political turmoil that led to a change in government, as well as controversy over the U.S. Marine Corps base on Okinawa, has drawn attention elsewhere. As a result, the fighter contest may not begin until next year or possibly later, says Mark Kronenberg, vice president for international business development for Boeing’s defense activity.

Next year could also see the emergence of another South Korean fighter procurement. Boeing executives view this potential program as the best candidate for a full-up F-15 Silent Eagle. The Eurofighter partner nations are also watching Seoul to see if a 40-60-aircraft need arises. If it does, then the Typhoon will enter the fray.

Uncertainty continues to hang over the Brazilian F-X2 competition, where the Boeing F/A-18E/F, Saab Gripen and Dassault Rafale are in the running. Brazil is in the midst of an election campaign, and several industry officials argue that with just a few months to go before the October vote, no action is possible.

But Brazilian industry officials argue that is not a foregone conclusion, and now that the air force’s technical assessment is complete, the defense ministry may yet name a winner ahead of the election.

One senior European industry official believes that the F-X2 selection may not only be delayed but could also be reopened to new bidders once the new government takes office. However, Orlando Neto, who oversees Embraer’s defense efforts, is skeptical that would be the case. He notes that reversing course now would be too expensive, and the source selection-process has progressed too far for such a move.

The outlook also is changing for the Swiss fighter program. The government last year deferred a type selection until 2010, but in recent months questions have arisen over whether the program will move forward at all. The Swiss defense ministry has openly declared its interest in spending the money on other priorities.

However, industry officials say the Swiss government will now move forward with a type selection in September. Nevertheless, it is possible that the requirement will shift from merely replacing the F-5 to also include F/A-18s now in Swiss service.

Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, says: “We believe that they will still have to go through a public referendum. . . . We believe they will establish a new requirement that will allow us to reenter a new competition.”

Uncertainty is also creeping into the international fighter market by questions related to cost growth and schedule delays being encountered by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Those issues are reverberating among prospective international buyers of the aircraft.

In the meantime, Boeing views a potential opening to promote its products in markets where the F-35 was seen as a shoo-in. Boeing already is competing against the F-35 (as well as the Gripen) in Denmark. But Kronenberg says he is “not convinced yet that everybody has bought into the F-35 program totally. We will see where it goes.”

Boeing hopes to convince potential buyers that its offerings, the F/A-18 in some markets and the F-15 in others, can meet customers’ needs at lower risk and more cheaply. “We are going to make a go of it,” he notes.

Meanwhile, the Middle East market remains among the hottest prospects. Dassault continues to court the United Arab Emirates; the Eurofighter Typhoon deal with Oman is also advancing. Boeing is trying to sway Qatar and Kuwait to consider F/A-18E/F purchases, with Typhoon also a likely candidate.

Credit: Saab

[buglerbilly]

Lula to decide on fighter jet deal after October elections

07/09/2010

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will decide who gets Brazil's multi-billion dollar contract to build jet fighters, after the October elections but before he leaves office on January 1, his defense minister said Tuesday.

The finalists now battling it out in the final stages of the tender are France's Rafale made by Dassault, Sweden's Gripen NG by Saab, and the F/A-18 Super Hornet manufactured by US giant Boeing.

"After the (October 3) elections, the president will study the issue. He'll make a decision this year, during this administration," Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said after presiding an Independence Day parade, as quoted by Agencia Brasil news agency.

The deal is estimated to be worth between four and seven billion dollars, depending on details of armaments, maintenance and peripheral industrial involvement. Brazil could also end up buying up to another 100 fighter jets from the supplier over the long term.

Brazil has made technology transfer the main priority in the tender, so it can produce fighter aircraft itself and boost its aviation industry.

To that end, Lula has already stated his preference to purchase 36 French-made, semi-stealth Rafale jets.

Lula will call a meeting of his national defense council, and announce his decision after hearing its advice.

Throughout the bidding process, however, the president has made it clear the final decision involved politics and was his alone to make.

Brazil's Air Force has stated that from a defensive point of view all three bids meet the requirements of the national defense strategy that was approved last year.

Lula's candidate to succeed him in October, Dilma Rousseff, has taken a commanding lead over her nearest challenger Jose Serra, Sao Paulo's former governor.

© 2010 AFP

[buglerbilly]

Qatar Targets 2012 Fighter Decision

Nov 8, 2010

By Robert Wall

LONDON — The competition to supply a new fighter to the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) is now formally underway.

Evaluation of program candidates has begun, the service’s commander, Brig. Gen. Mubarak Bin Mohammed Al-Khayarin, tells the Shephard Air Power Middle East conference here. The goal is to make a type selection before the end of 2012.

The size of the program is still under discussion, with 24-36 fighters likely to be acquired. The aircraft would replace Dassault Mirage 2000-5s.

The service is evaluating a broad spectrum of aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15, Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale, says Al-Khayarin. Saab officials note they also have entered the competition.

Qatar’s is only one of several military aircraft contests in the region. The United Arab Emirates’ effort to buy a new fighter appears open again, after an apparent impasse between front-runner Dassault and the government following prolonged negotiations. The UAE has signaled interest in the F/A-18E/F, with European officials also believing the type selection is again in play.

Likewise, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain remain potential buyers of new aircraft.

Meanwhile, discussions continue between the U.K. and Saudi Arabia regarding a follow-on purchase of Typhoons on top of the 72 already on order.

[buglerbilly]

Brazil Rousseff Wants to Keep Defense Minister Jobim, Folha Says

By Iuri Dantas - Dec 6, 2010 5:31 PM GMT+0800

Brazil’s President-elect Dilma Rousseff will today invite Defense Minister Nelson Jobim to remain in his post and will also decide to purchase Rafale jet fighters from France, Folha de S.Paulo said.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva may announce Dec. 15 that Brazil decided to buy Dassault Aviation SA’s Rafale over Boeing Co.’s F/A-18 and Saab AB’s Gripen, the newspaper reported, without mentioning how it obtained the information.

Rousseff also plans to sell shares of Brazil’s state company in charge of airport infrastructure, Infraero, in an initial public offering, according to Folha.

Rousseff takes office Jan. 1.

[buglerbilly]

Gripen Purchase by Brazil 'Unlikely': Analysts

(Source: The Local.Se; published Dec 8, 2010)

The likelihood that Brazil will purchase Swedish-made Saab Gripen fighter jets to modernise its air force diminished significantly following recent comments by the outgoing Brazilian president, analysts believe.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said late on Monday that he will not make a decision on a multi-billion-dollar jet fighter purchase before stepping down on January 1, state media reported.

Lula told official television station TV Brasil that it would be up to the government of his successor, Dilma Rousseff, to decide the issue.

"It's a very big debt, it's a long-term debt for Brazil. I could sign off on it and do a deal with France, but I'm not going to do that," Lula said, according to an excerpt published by the state news agency Agencia Brasil.

Analysts said they believed Lula's comments meant the longstanding project to modernize Brazil's air force was likely scrapped altogether, signaling a blow to Swedish hopes of receiving an order for the Gripen NG, which is still in development.

According to Brazilian media, the purchase of 36 new fighters to replace Brazil's aging fleet would cost between six billion and eight billion dollars -- and possibly much more if options to expand the fleet to more than 100 aircraft are exercised.

The competition was between France's Rafale jet, made by Dassault, the F/A-18 Super Hornet by US company Boeing, and a Gripen NG to be built by Saab of Sweden.

Lula last year announced that he had started negotiations with France to buy the Rafale, but quickly backtracked under pressure from the Brazilian air force and the other two bidders.

Leaks in the Brazilian press suggested the air force preferred the cheaper Gripen, prompting Lula to say he would make the final decision on political criteria -- seen to favor France, with which Brazil has a strategic pact.

But that decision has been put off several times this year.

Lula's choice to finally to pass the buck to Rousseff did not auger well, analysts told AFP. "My impression is that the F-X2 (the code name for the fighter jet tender) is dead and buried," said Nelson During, head of the specialized website DefesaNet.

During noted that Lula had already canceled a previous fighter jet tender in 2003 started by his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, to divert the money for social programs.

Marcelo Rech, an analyst for another site, InfoRel, agreed. He said Rousseff was likewise emphasizing the fight against poverty as her priority coming into office.

"For me, that was a clear signal that the F-X2 project has ceased to be a priority," he said.

The two experts also said Rousseff may seek closer relations with the United States, which would boost the chances of the F/A-18.

Rousseff, Lula's former cabinet chief, on Monday had a long meeting with Defense Minister Nelson Jobim on the fighter jet tender and other issues. Jobim, who is tipped to stay on in his post under Rousseff, Tuesday met with the head of the air force and other military chiefs.

Brazil had long insisted that transfer of technology be part of the jet fighter deal.

France was the first to say it would permit full transfer of technology, including software source codes considered the heart of the sophisticated fighters. However its Rafale has never been picked up by any country outside of France, and it is seen as an expensive machine.

Sweden and the United States have promised to provide "relevant" technology to Brazil. The Gripen [NG], though, is still on the drawing board with no prototype yet available.

And Brazil is wary of buying the F/A-18 because it would mean relying on US hardware despite past experiences in which US authorities blocked transfer of military technology.

Among the US diplomatic cables recently revealed by WikiLeaks was one citing the head of the Brazilian air force, Brigadier Juniti Saito, last year telling US officials he considered "there was no question from a technical point of view that the F18 was the superior aircraft."

The US embassy in Brasilia also noted that France's Rafale had "a high level of US content" -- and said the French bid could be undermined by telling Brazil that technology transfer of that jet was partially dependent on US approval.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Given the strong personal and very public commitment that Lula made to buy the Rafale on strategic and tech transfer grounds, his decision to wash his hands of the matter at this late stage is surprising to say the least. It is now quite possible that Brazil will, for the second time, cancel the fighter procurement competition and instead buy second-hand fighters, possibly additional Mirage 2000s.)
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[buglerbilly]

France says Rafale talks advancing with UAE, Brazil

Tue Jan 4, 2011 12:42pm GMT

SAINT-DIZIER, France (Reuters) - French Defence Minister Alain Juppe said on Tuesday that talks with United Arab Emirates and Brazil over possible orders of French Rafale jet fighter were advancing.
France is eager to secure a first export order for the multi-role Rafale, with its defence exports under pressure for several years as it struggles to repeat the success of Dassault Aviation's previous generation of Mirage warplanes.

"We're advancing with Brazil, we're advancing with United Arab Emirates because negotiations have resumed. We'll see, it's on the right track," Juppe said at a presidential New Year's address at an air force base at Saint-Dizier, northeast France.

Talks with Brazil had been delayed until after an October 31 presidential election, and talks with UAE froze in mid-2010 over a newspaper article that fanned sensitivities in Abu Dhabi.

(Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry; Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Matthew Jones)

[buglerbilly]

UPDATE 1-Brazil seeks better terms in Boeing jet bid-source

Tue Feb 8, 2011 6:54pm EST

* Rousseff voices preference for Boeing in jets tender

* Brazil seeks more guarantees on technology, better terms

* Rousseff sees deal as way of bolstering ties with U.S. (Adds details, context)

By Brian Winter

SAO PAULO, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has told visitors she believes Boeing's (BA.N) F-18 is the best jet among three finalists in a multi-billion dollar Air Force fighter tender, but she is still pressing for better terms on technology transfers that are critical to any deal.

Rousseff raised the issue of the jet tender during a meeting in Brasilia on Monday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, sources with knowledge of the conversation told Reuters. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

Rousseff told Geithner she considered the purchase of at least three dozen jets as a way to not only modernize Brazil's Air Force but also potentially to improve strategic and trade ties with the United States -- a major goal of her foreign policy since taking office on Jan. 1.

However, Rousseff said she remained concerned about the transfers of proprietary technology that Brazil wants as a way to help develop its own defense industry as part of any deal.

She is seeking both improved terms from Boeing and further guarantees from the U.S. government that it will allow sensitive military technology to change hands, the sources said.

The other finalists in the bidding process are the Rafale jet built by France's Dassault (AVMD.PA) and the Gripen NG produced by Sweden's Saab (SAABb.ST).

Rousseff's comments -- plus her previous decision to delay the tender instead of immediately awarding it to Dassault, as many of her defense chiefs wanted -- suggest that she is leaning toward the Boeing bid but is still pressing companies to come up with better terms in a deal that will shape Brazil's defense alliances for decades to come.

A spokesman for Rousseff's office declined comment.

Boeing spokeswoman Marcia Costley said the technology transfer guarantee was an issue that would be decided by the two governments.

The company is willing to provide Brazil with further technological know-how and other assistance in areas such as transport, satellites and weapons systems as part of the deal, she added.

"Boeing has the capability and resources to live up to its promises on ... technology transfer and the track record to prove it," Costley said via e-mail.

OBAMA TO VISIT IN MARCH

The contract -- which will be worth at least $4 billion, not including lucrative maintenance deals and possible additional purchases -- has suffered several delays during the past decade as Brazilian leaders struggle to balance the Air Force's needs against diplomacy, cost and other factors.

Rousseff has made the development of national industries one of the centerpieces of her government, and it is conceivable that she could choose a jet she considers inferior if it provided a bigger boost to Brazilian industry.

The three finalists have already been working to improve their bids since Reuters first reported on Jan. 17 that Rousseff would delay the tender.

Officials for one company told Reuters they had submitted their most recent bid more than a year ago, so they would have to recalculate the terms. The officials declined to be identified because of the competitive nature of the process.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government is working to provide the additional guarantees Rousseff seeks. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has already provided a written guarantee that any deal with Boeing would be respected by the U.S. government, but Rousseff has asked for additional backing in the form of some kind of resolution from the U.S. Congress.

U.S. President Barack Obama is due to make his first visit to Brazil in March, which could advance the deal further.

Dassault officials continue to press their case. Dassault Aviation exports chief Eric Trappier told reporters last weekend that it was ready to transfer all of its available technologies to Brazil if it won the contract.

One silver lining for the companies: Instead of starting the tender process from zero, Rousseff is seeking modifications to the existing bids and is likely to make a decision on the contract by the end of the year, an adviser said.

[I](Additional reporting by Cyril Altmeyerhenzien in Paris, Editing by Todd Benson and Ted Kerr)

[buglerbilly]

BAE Says Qatar, Oman Discuss Potential Eurofighter Purchases

By Tamara Walid and Andrea Rothman - Feb 21, 2011 8:53 PM GMT+0800

BAE Systems Plc, the U.K. partner building the Eurofighter, is in talks with both Qatar and Oman over the sale of combat jets.

Kuwait and India also have a requirement for such planes, said Simon Keith, managing director for BAE in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific regions.

The Middle East and Asia are increasingly important markets for European weapons makers as governments at home rein in purchases to combat budget deficits. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said on Oct. 19 that the country’s armed forces will be cut and military expenditure slashed by 8 percent, adjusted for inflation, over four years.

“The Middle East is a key export area and we reckon opportunities will continue to arise because the industrial infrastructure in those countries doesn’t enable them to build entire military equipment,” Keith said in an interview at a military trade show today in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.

Keith said there has been steady growth in demand from that region for equipment, with the biggest growth in gear for cyber security and border protection.

The executive said Saudi Arabia has taken delivery of 18 out of 72 Typhoons, the export name for the Eurofighter. The nation placed a 4.4 billion-pound ($7 billion) order and has options for additional planes.

“I know it’s very high on their agenda to think about getting some more,” Keith said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tamara Walid in Abu Dhabi at twalid@bloomberg.net;
Andrea Rothman in Toulouse, France aerothman@bloomberg.net. .

[buglerbilly]

DATE:23/02/11

SOURCE:Flight International

Brazilian president confirms new slip to F-X2 fighter decision

President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil says a decision about the air force's F-X2 fighter procurement will be delayed by several more months.

Rousseff says the step has been prompted by severe budget cuts of roughly $29.9 billion for fiscal year 2011 that will see the defence ministry's procurement allocation slashed by 26.5%.

Defence minister Nelson Jobim says a decision on F-X2 will not be made before 2012, as a final selection cannot take place while Rousseff has ordered an extensive review of the programme.

Sources within the defence ministry suggest that Rousseff is inclined to minimise political considerations, unlike former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's administration, which clearly favoured the Dassault Rafale, and base a decision primarily on acquisition and operating costs.

If pursued, such a stance is expected to favour Dassault's two rivals for the F-X2 contract; Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Saab's Gripen NG. The pair emerged as the air force's favourites following the programme's technical analysis and operational evaluation phases.

[buglerbilly]

Eurofighter Rejoins Danish Fighter Contest

By GERARD O'DWYER

Published: 6 Apr 2011 15:19

HELSINKI - Eurofighter has formally rejoined Denmark's delayed Fighter Replacement Program (FRP) contest, having first flagged its intention during a meeting with the Danish legislature's Parliamentary Defense Committee last December. The Danish government is expected to revisit the FRP, which it suspended in March 2010, by 2012.

"What we're saying is that while there is no official Danish tender at present, Eurofighter wants to participate in such a competition when the new tender is launched," said Eurofighter spokesman Marco Valerio Bonelli.

Maj. Gen. Henrik Røboe Dam, the head of the Royal Danish Air Force's Tactical Air Command, said that Danish pilots flying a squadron of six F-16s operating under the NATO-led "no-fly zone" mission in Libya would benefit from having access to more advanced stealth technology than available to the updated F-16s.

The Air Force recognized, based on the experience gained from initial flight operations in Libya, that having fighters with greater stealth qualities and technologies would make missions safer for pilots, Dam said.

"There is no doubt that if we had the availability of a fighter with stealth characteristics, and difficult to track by radar, it would be a comfort-enhancing factor for pilots," Dam said.

The European consortium pulled the Eurofighter Typhoon out of the tender being run by Denmark in December 2007, claiming that the Danish competition favored Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter, which it argued was not constrained to offer the same industrial offset commitments as its European rivals, including the Saab Gripen.

"Everything has changed. The Danish political, military and competitiveness picture is different. The Eurofighter has also changed a lot. It is now a much more mature combat aircraft and we can make a more complete, affordable and competitive offer to Denmark," Bonelli said.

Eurofighter views the offset arrangement being sought by Denmark as a major competitive plus for the consortium, which includes Alenia, BAE Systems and Cassidian, Bonelli said.

"Between them, the companies in Eurofighter have a turnover in excess of 120 billion euros. The potential for offset is huge, and we have a very successful history in offset. The consortium is so big, and the range of products so large that we would have no problem to include the Danish aerospace industry, which is already quite advanced," said Bonelli.

The Air Force had occasion to take a "close-up" look at Eurofighter in February when its F-16s had to fly against the Typhoon during joint Winter Hide 2011 exercises hosted by the Italian Air Force's 4th Stormo air-wing in Grosseto, Italy.

The Danish F-16 squadron, which forms part of its Skrydstrup-based air-wing, comprised eight operational fighters and three reserve aircraft.

As a direct consequence of the political decision to postpone the FRP, Denmark's defense industry federation, FAD, restructured its lobbying efforts in November by forming a new representative group called the Danish Industry Fighter Aircraft Team (DIFAT).

DIFAT, which operates under FAD, will work with all present and future potential candidates in the project. Eurofighter now joins that list, along with Lockheed's F-35, Saab's Gripen NG, and Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet.

DIFAT met with representatives from Lockheed, Saab and Boeing in January. Future meetings due to take place in 2011 and 2012, which will discuss industrial offset opportunities arising from the project, will include talks with Eurofighter.

[buglerbilly]

The DDPS to Examine the Overall Planning of the Air Force to Fill Gaps in Air Defense

(Source: Swiss Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport; issued April 20, 2011)

(Issued in German; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)


Having dropped plans to replace its F-5E Tigers, seen here with an F-18, Switzerland is now investigating the feasibility of an upgrade to keep them in service until 2025. (Swiss MoD photo)

Rather than jerk around like this, a halfwit Politcian should approach the Brits for a bunch of their early Typhoons in a year or two, they'd get them for a song and allow the Brits to buy later versions of the same plane new..................the Germans would probably do the same.......again (thats how the Austrians got theirs

The head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS), Federal Councilor Ueli Maurer, has instructed the armed forces and armasuisse to undertake an in-depth review the air force’s long-term armaments planning, and to examine the feasibility of modernizing the current fleet of F-5 Tiger combat aircraft.

The Federal Council's decision to postpone indefinitely the purchase of new combat aircraft for the partial replacement of the Tiger F-5 creates a dangerous gap in the field of air defense. Parliamentary interventions could potentially accelerate the acquisition of new aircraft.

Regardless of this, the army and armasuisse must develop, as part of forward planning, the basis for decision-making at the political level.

The goal is to present the government with a comprehensive overview of the missions, resources and commitment of the Air Force for the next 15 to 20 years, as well as the corresponding acquisition of weapons.

In this regard, armasuisse must submit by the end of 2011 a study showing whether it is feasible to modernize and upgrade the current F-5 Tiger fighters.

This feasibility study was requested by the head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS), Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer. The priority is to ensure the operational capabilities of the Air Force.

The armed forces cannot afford capability gaps which would compromise its ability to carry out its assigned aerial missions. Currently, the F-5 fighters can only operate in daytime and with good visibility.

Upgraded F-5 Tigers could support and assist the air force’s fleet of 33 F/A-18 Hornets in the execution of its air policing tasks.

This modernization would help fill the capability gaps until a future partial of the Tigers. This will in all likelihood not be decided before 2019, and the new aircraft would then be available from about 2025.

The mandate of the Federal Council, issued in autumn 2010 and requiring the DDPS and the Federal Department of Finance to investigate, by the end of 2011, the possibility of funding the partial replacement of the Tiger remains unchanged.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Italy Pushes Eurofighter As Turkey's 'Only Alternative' to US Options (excerpt)

(Source: Hürriyet Daily News; published May 11, 2011)

ISTANBUL --- The Italian Defense Ministry continues pushing Turkey to join the Eurofighter aircraft project as an alternative to its present fleet of US-made jets. “Turkey wants part of its fighter aircraft fleet to remain outside the technological and other influence of the United States,” says a Turkish defense analyst

The pan-European Eurofighter fighter aircraft is the only viable alternative to U.S. planes in its category for the Turkish military, Italy’s deputy defense minister said late Tuesday, urging Turkey to join the ambitious European-led defense program.

“The Eurofighter is the only alternative to U.S. aircraft, and provides a great relief to world countries,” Guido Crosetto told a small group of international reporters through an interpreter on the sidelines of the 2011 International Defense Industry Fair, or IDEF, being held in Istanbul. “If Turkey joins this program, the program would gain a larger importance,” Crosetto said.

Turkey, whose present fighter fleet is comprised of U.S.-made aircraft, also plans to buy the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II planes, a next-generation, multinational program also led by the United States.

But Turkish officials privately say they want another future jet fighter to be developed with a country or countries other than the United States, in an effort to reduce Ankara’s over-dependence on Washington.

Most of Turkey’s present fleet of F-16 fighters is being modernized by the United States.

Lockheed Martin and the planned future F-35s are open to U.S. influence. Only its older F-4 aircraft, modernized by Israel, and its oldest F-16s, being modernized by Turkey itself, are technologically free from this influence, the officials believe. But these older aircraft are expected to be decommissioned around 2020.

“Turkey wants part of its fighter aircraft fleet to remain outside the technological and other influence of the United States. It believes this scheme would better fit its national interests,” said one Turkish defense analyst. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full article, on the Hurryet Daily News website.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=italy-pushes-turkey-for-eurofighter-as-only-alternative-to-us-options-2011-05-11

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[buglerbilly]

Lockheed hopes to finalize F-16 sales to Iraq, Oman

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON | Mon May 16, 2011 7:50pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) says it hopes to sign sales contracts for up to 18 F-16 fighter jets to both Iraq and Oman by early 2012, and expects to book a total of about 100 additional orders by the end of the decade.

Lockheed is gradually winding down production of the popular multi-role fighter, which is in use by 25 countries worldwide, and was once produced at a rate of one a day, as it ramps up production of the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The company has delivered 4,475 F-16s and has a backlog of 65 orders, which means production at the company's Fort Worth, Texas plant will continue at the current rate of one to two planes a month for several years.

Lockheed had hoped to sell hundreds more F-16s to foreign militaries in coming years, but India last month eliminated both the F-16 and Boeing Co's (BA.N) F/A-18 Super Hornet from a competition to provide 126 fighters, and a possible sale of 66 planes to Taiwan has been on the back burner for some time.

The Pentagon's No. 1 supplier by sales, Lockheed is finishing work on 24 single- and two-seater F-16 fighter jets for Morocco at the Fort Worth plant, and will deliver those airplanes in August.

Bill McHenry, Lockheed's head of F-16 business development, said the company is still pursuing some possible additional F-16 sales, as well as upgrades to existing planes for the U.S. Air Force and other countries that would extend their service life from 10,000 flight hours to around 12,000.

Lockheed says it currently conducting a full-scale durability test on an advanced F-16 Block 52 plane as part of the Air Force's deliberations on possible upgrades, especially given an expected delay in the fielding of the new F-35 after a restructuring added time to that plane's development program.

India's decision to eliminate the F-16 from its $11 billion fighter competition dashed the company's hopes for another big order, said Richard Aboulafia, analyst with the Virginia-based Teal Group.

"The great plane ends not with a bang, but with a whimper." he said, noting that the F-16 was the most popular fighter in the world given its ability to attack other planes, targets on the ground or on the seas, and to engage in electronic warfare -- all for a price of $30 million to $40 million.

"Ironically The only thing that can save the F-16 now is a disastrous F-35 program," he added, referring to the F-35 fighter plane which is also built by Lockheed to replace the F-16 and a dozen other warplanes worldwide.

Taiwan has expressed interest in buying up to 66 F-16s, but the deal has floundered for political reasons as the U.S. government struggles to balance its ties with Taiwan and its military ties to China, Aboulafia said.

"The only possible last hurrah would be Taiwan," he said.

The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified lawmakers last year about possible sales of 18 F-16 fighters to both Iraq and Oman, but both sales have been delayed.

The U.S. military wants Iraq to get the new fighter planes, particularly given plans to withdraw U.S. combat troops from the country, said one government official who was not authorized to speak on the record.

But Iraq announced in February that it would delay the purchase of the new fighter jets to put $900 million of allocated funds into its national food ration program instead.

The United States formally ended combat operations in Iraq last August but maintains 50,000 troops in the country to help its fledgling military tackle Islamist insurgents. American troops are scheduled to pull out at year's end.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

[buglerbilly]

UAE May Buy More F-16s

By PIERRE TRAN

Published: 6 Jul 2011 13:17

PARIS - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now talking with Lockheed Martin about buying more F-16 fighter aircraft because France's offer of an advanced version of the Rafale combat jet is seen as too expensive, said a source familiar with the negotiations in the gulf.


In the 1990s, the UAE bought 80 F-16 E/F fighters under a $7.3 billion foreign military sales contract. (Wikipedia)

"The UAE is finding the Rafale offer to be too costly compared to the capabilities of aircraft and other technologies on the market," the source said. "The negotiations with France are still ongoing and both sides are looking for a compromise."

The UAE has been seen as a potential first export buyer of the Dassault Rafale in a deal estimated at $10 billion. Meetings on the Rafale sale were held at the Paris Air Show, which ended June 26.

But price resistance has led UAE officials to open discussions with Lockheed Martin to buy more F-16s with the latest "weaponry and targeting sensors," the source said.

Last year, UAE officials asked for technical information on the Boeing F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, following a political chill at the highest levels between Abu Dhabi and Paris.

In negotiations with the French, the elements said to be stretching the UAE's planned budget are the co-development costs for a more powerful "special" Rafale version, plus maintenance and spare parts. The UAE wants its Rafales powered by uprated Snecma M88 engines, whose 9 tons of thrust provide 1.5 tons more than the version flown by the French Air Force. Other improvements requested include a longer range active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and a more capable Spectra electronic warfare suite.

The upgrades previously have been estimated at 2 billion euros ($2.9 billion) by then-French Defense Minister Hervé Morin.

Dassault Aviation declined to comment.

Shortly before the Paris Air Show, Dassault Chief Executive Charles Edelstenne said of the Rafale offer to the UAE, "the talks are advancing."

The gulf source said, "Lockheed Martin is offering a very attractive financial package."

A UAE sale might help Lockheed keep its F-16 assembly line open, after India rejected the U.S. fighter from its short list for the Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft competition.

Lockheed officials were unable to comment by press time.

France badly needs export success on the Rafale, a showcase of military technological competence, as the national defense budget assumes foreign contracts to help pay for a steady rate of production.

Dassault has said it must build 11 Rafale units a year to keep the line working at an economic rate.

Large companies depending on the Rafale include Safran subsidiaries Sagem, for the forward looking infrared gear, Snecma for the twin engines, Thales for the electronics and RBE2 AESA radar, and MBDA, which hopes to sell the Meteor long-range missile.

In the 1990s, the UAE bought 80 F-16 E/F fighters with distinctive conformal fuel tanks, under a $7.3 billion foreign military sales (FMS) contract, of which a reported $3 billion went to co-develop the Block 60 Desert Falcon, widely viewed as the most capable of the F-16s worldwide. As co-developer, the UAE is co-owner of some of the sensitive military technology on the Block 60 version. As part of the deal, UAE personnel worked on the co-development program, and Lockheed trained Emirati nationals to service the Block 60 aircraft.

The 1990s also saw the UAE buy Dassault Mirage 2000-9 fighters, which were more advanced than the 2000-5 version flown by the French Air Force. Older Mirage fighters were also upgraded to the more capable variant.

The Mirage 2000-9 fleet still has a long life ahead of it, but the UAE could start taking delivery of the new F-16s in under five years while keeping the existing Mirage aircraft, the source said.

France has previously offered to buy back the Mirage fleet and resell the fighters in export markets to encourage the sale of the Rafale to the UAE.

The UAE has purchased the Black Shaheen cruise missile for the Mirage. In long-range strike, the UAE also has the Hakim, which was shown under the wing of a Rafale model displayed on missile manufacturer MBDA's stand at the IDEX arms show in Abu Dhabi in February.

[buglerbilly]

Fighter Contests Re-Energized In Europe

Jul 11, 2011

By Robert Wall
London



Upcoming national elections in Switzerland and Denmark could re-energize fighter competitions there, although the outcomes are far from certain.

The Danes will cast votes for their representatives in the fall, and industry officials believe the outcome could shape the fighter procurement process, which is unfolding slowly. Last year, Denmark delayed a decision on whether to buy the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Boeing F/A-18E/F or Saab Gripen NG; but a U.S. industry official says the country’s involvement in NATO’s Libyan operations has put renewed focus on fighters and could lead to an acceleration of the program.

Less certain is whether the competitive landscape could change again. Copenhagen earlier opened the door to a new competitor, when it allowed the F/A-18E/F into the battle. Now Eurofighter Typhoon officials are ramping up efforts to jump back into the fray as well.

The situation in Switzerland is similarly fluid. Last year, the government decided to halt the F-5 replacement program to save money and effectively deferred introduction of a new aircraft to no earlier than the end of the decade. The move was a setback for Saab, Eurofighter and the Dassault Aviation Rafale, which were in the running and had undergone extensive trials; Boeing had earlier withdrawn its bid.

The Swiss defense ministry, meanwhile, has begun an assessment on whether the F-5s can be upgraded again to bridge any operational gap. At the same time, Bern is still devising financing plans on how to pay for the eventual Tiger replacement, with a report due by year-end.

But the two chambers of the Swiss parliament are raising objections to the decision by the Federal Council, or executive branch, to hold off on the fighter modernization effort. The National Council, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, has passed a motion to expedite the program, with the other chamber arguing that the replacement decision should come during the next legislative period during 2012-15. But there are differences between the motions passed by the two chambers, which are due to be reconciled in September.

Whether the competitive arena shifts again, or whether any accelerated modernization planning will open the door again to other players, remains uncertain. A European industry official believes a type selection could come late this year or early next, which would restrict the competition to the Gripen, Rafale and Typhoon. The bids put forward by Swiss industry remain valid until the end of the year.

Another element of uncertainty is how the Tiger replacement might be funded. The program to buy roughly 22 aircraft is expected to cost 4 billion Swiss francs ($4.7 billion). Options being studied include raising taxes, generating savings in other areas or selling infrastructure such as airports.

The stakes are high in both contests for all players. Saab, for instance, is eager to secure an export order in Europe for its Gripen, particularly in light of being eliminated from the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program. Lockheed Martin is looking to Denmark to further expand its European footprint for the F-35. And for Eurofighter, completing deals in Switzerland and Denmark would bolster the company’s effort to secure more European air force orders while supporting its argument to new operators—in Eastern Europe, for example—that acquiring Typhoon offers huge interoperability potential and cooperation opportunities.

Photo: Saab

[buglerbilly]

Ekonom.cz: US Lockheed Martin interested in tender for fighter planes

14 July 2011

Prague, July 13 (CTK) - The U.S. Lockheed Martin arms concern has confirmed its interest in a tender for fighters for the Czech military worth billions of crowns and it would probably offer its F-16 aircraft, the Ekonom.cz server has reported.

However, F-16 is rather an old type and it failed in 1999 when the Czech Republic was considering purchasing supersonic fighters for the first time. At the end, the government decided to lease the Swedish-made Jas-39 Gripen fighters.

The lease expires in 2015. This is why the Defence Ministry asked France, the United States, Sweden and the Eurofighter consortium in December for a preliminary bid of supersonic fighters for the Czech military.

Lockheed is the second arms maker to publicly announce its interest in the tender, after the Swedish Saab that would like the Czech Republic to keep Gripens, Ekonom.cz writes.

If the Czech government decided to upgrade its air force, Lockheed Martin is prepared ho help with it, company spokeswoman Laura Siebert told the Ekonom weekly.

The server wrote that the concern would probably again offer F-16s that are used, for instance, in the neighbouring Poland, in Belgium and Denmark. However, they would probably not succeed in the tender.

"If we sought a new quality, we would definitely not speak about F-16," the server quotes Czech fighter wing commander Jaroslav Mika as saying recently.

Lockheed might also offer its new stealth aircraft F-35. But they are still being developed and on top of that, they would be too expensive for the Czech Republic, the server writes.

Five companies bid for the order in 1999 preliminarily: U.S. McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing (F/A-18 plane) and Lockheed Martin (F-16), French Dassault Aviation (Mirage 2000-5), EADS (Eurofighter) consortium and the British-Swedish BAE Systems/Saab consortium (Jas-39 Gripen).

The Czech Republic originally planned to buy the Gripen ultrasonic fighters. The contract of purchase worth 60.2 billion crowns was approved by the Social Democrat (CSSD) cabinet of Milos Zeman in April 2002, but it was not passed by parliament.

The Czech military in the end leased 14 Gripens for 19.6 billion crowns in 2004.

Information on the alleged corruption accompanying the planned purchase of Gripens emerged in Swedish media in 2007.

($1=17.346 crowns)

Copyright 2011 by the Czech News Agency (ČTK). All rights reserved.

[ADMk2]

Russia pitches PAK-FA to the 'other' Korea

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2011/07/russia-pitches-pak-fa-to-the-o.html
"
Maybe Korea could get supplementary funding for a squadron or so from the USA to help with evaluation of these...

There was a time when any Russian military equipment offered to forces on the Korean peninsula would have stopped slightly north of the 38th parallel, but those days are apparently over.

Although only 18 months beyond first flight, the Sukhoi PAK-FA stealth fighter has been offered to the South Koreans for FX-III. Local reports (see here and here) in Seoul today say that South Korea's defence acquisition agency -- DAPA -- has included the PAK-FA in its short-list of competitors.

For those keeping score, this is the first real competition between the PAK-FA and any foreign fighter. South Korea also is considering the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle, Eurofighter Typhoon and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. This could get interesting, folks.

[buglerbilly]

DATE:03/08/11

SOURCE:Flight International

Lockheed looks for extra F-16 orders

By Dominic Perry

Production of the Lockheed Martin F-16 will begin to shut down or experience "significant gaps", unless the company secures new orders for the fighter by the end of the year.

Chief executive Bob Stevens said Martin is was still waiting on procurement decisions from Iraq and Oman and from the US government, on whether to sell new F-16s to Taiwan.

Although Lockheed has told customers it plans to stop production by the end of 2013, securing additional commitments is vital to the programme, he said.

"We have, at the same time, advised that if we don't receive firm commitments for additional F-16s on or about the end of this year, then the line will certainly begin to shut down, if not have a significant gap.

"I think that's caused a number of our global customers to evaluate their inventory needs," he added.

The company expects to deliver about 40 of the aircraft next year, with a large proportion of them assembled in Turkey by Tusas Aerospace Industries for the Turkish air force, under a 2007 deal for 30 F-16 Block 50+ fighters

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

What Now For F-X2? Boeing, Saab, Dassault Left to Wonder

Posted by Robert Wall at 8/5/2011 2:18 AM CDT

The resignation of Brazilian defense minister Nelson Jobim raises further questions over whether the Brazilian government will move forward with its F-X2 fighter plan.

Jobim fell foul of president Dilma Rousseff and was effectively forced out because of an internal government spat and disparaging comments he is alleged to have made about a colleague. But a difference of opinion between Jobim and Rousseff over proceeding with the F-X2 fighter purchase also appears to have strained relations between Rousseff and the defense minister she inherited from her predecessor and mentor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The source selection process between the Boeing F/A-18E/F, Dassault Rafale, and Saab Gripen has already slowed under Rousseff. The latest official word has been that a type selection could still come this year, although a contract would not. However, there has been increasing suspicion that timeline would not hold.

Rousseff is not considered a fan of big defense spending and instead would like to focus the government's efforts on other activities, such as curbing inflation.

With Jobim gone, it would appear the door may be open for a further delay of the F-X2 program. At that stage, the validity of the bids submitted by the three contestants would likely expire, and a new round of bidding may become necessary.

Even if F-X2 proceeds, Jobim's departure could impact the outcome. Jobim has been vocal about his concerns regarding U.S. technology transfer; his departure could improve the prospects for Boeing, at least slightly.

All ears will now be on Celso Amorim, the new defense minister, to hear his first pronouncement on F-X2.

[buglerbilly]

Russia Closing Deal With Burma Over 20 Fighter Jets

Written by: DVB

August 4, 2011

By Francis Wade

Russia is believed to be close to finalising a deal over the sale of 20 advanced fighter jets to the Burmese military, which has sought to expand its air power in tandem with ground forces.

The MiG-29 planes have been purchased directly from the Russian state exporter, Rosoboronexport, in a deal estimated at more than $US570 million.

The additional planes, due to shipped before the end of next year, will double Burma’s fighter jet fleet, and becomes one of the biggest sales of its kind by Moscow.


Burma

Although Burma already has used MiG-29 in its arsenal, bought years ago from Russia and Belarus, the adapted versions are more suited to the country’s rough terrain and are noted for their aerial maneuverability.

At the time the deal was first struck in late 2009, a source close to Rosoboronexport said that the Russian offer had beaten one by China for “ultra-modern” J-10 and FC-1 fighters to be shipped to Burma “on very advantageous conditions”.

This week Russia delivered 11 MiGs to India as part of a 16-plane package to equip an aircraft carrier due to be delivered next year. The two countries then signed a deal in March 2010 for the sale of an additional 29 jets, priced at around $US1.5 billion.

Although a longtime supplier of India’s military, Russia has made no secret of its wish to expand its security presence into South and Southeast Asia and draw closer to strategically placed countries like Burma and India.

Reports emerged last month that Russia had also been awarded a tender to develop Burma’s first metro in its remote capital, Naypyidaw.

Military relations between the two countries have a solid history, with Russia a chief supplier of hardware to the Burmese army and promising young military personnel from Burma regularly sent for training in elite Moscow academies.

The Burmese government is also known to be wary of an overdependence on China as its chief foreign ally and security partner, and has been courting other powerhouses like Russia and India as possible alternatives.

Naypyidaw is also embarking on an aggressive expansion of its military that includes the purchase of fighter jets, as well as orders to battalion commanders to recruit extra manpower. This is despite Burma having no external enemy.

Whether aerial power is necessary in its perennial conflicts against ethnic armies is debated, although the MiG-29 would suit the poor ground-level infrastructure in the country’s remote border regions.

Reports from Shan state last month suggested that air strikes had been targeted at the opposition Shan State Army, although this has not been independently confirmed.

[buglerbilly]

Dassault May Sell 63 Rafales to UAE This Year, Tribune Says

By Andrea Rothman - Aug 5, 2011 1:39 PM GMT+0800 .

Negotiations between the United Arab Emirates and the French government and Dassault Aviation SA (AM) over the sale of about 63 Rafale fighter planes have picked up again, with a deal expected between September and year-end, La Tribune reported, without saying where it got the information.

Such an order would be worth between 6 billion euros ($8.5 billion) and 8 billion euros, the French newspaper said. The negotiations include plans for the purchase of Meteor missiles built by MBDA, a missile maker comprised of European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co., BAE Systems Plc (BA/) and Italy’s Finmecanicca SpA.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andrea Rothman in Paris at aerothman@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at bkammel@bloomberg.net

[buglerbilly]

DATE:16/08/11

SOURCE:Flight International

MAKS: UAC optimistic about MiG-35 despite Indian disappointment

By Siva Govindasamy

Russia's United Aircraft is displaying its MiG-35 fighter at MAKS 2011, hoping to set aside its disappointment at being knocked out of India's medium multi-role combat aircraft competition by attracting new customers for the type.

While the Russian air force has not declared an interest in procuring the type, UAC is believed to be pushing the MiG-35 - an updated version of the MiG-29M - to potential customers in Asia and Africa, in particular.

"There are many air forces that operate both the MiG-29M and its older variant, the MiG-29. These countries will need a new fighter that is updated to suit modern air combat requirements," said an industry source.



There are now around 10 prototypes of the MiG-35 - and its twin-seat variant the MiG-35D - undergoing field tests. UAC says that in developing the MiG-35 aircraft, it paid attention to several issues that have made it a much better aircraft than the MiG-29M.

These include increasing the reliability of the airframe, engines and avionics, extending the lifetime and service life, increasing the mean time between overhauls of engines, and cutting the flight hour cost.

Modifications from the MiG-29M include the addition of the Phazotron Zhuk-AE active electronically scanned array radar, the Klimov RD-33MK engines and a new Optical Locator System.

Its defence systems include radio electronic reconnaissance and electronic counter measures, optronic systems for detection of attacking missiles and laser emission, and decoy dispensers to counteract the enemy in the radar and infrared ranges.

The aircraft's avionics systems have an open architecture, allowing the installation of new equipment and weapons of both Russian and foreign origin.

"The basic version of the MiG-35/MiG-35D fighter is designed taking into account the international cooperation organization when developing new modifications of aircraft and during serial production," said UAC.

[buglerbilly]

Dassault close to UAE deal on Rafale jets -paper

PARIS, Sept 1 | Thu Sep 1, 2011 1:56am EDT

PARIS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Dassault Aviation is expected to put an offer to sell about 60 Rafale fighterjets to the United Arab Emirates this month, in a sign that negotiations are progressing, Les Echos newspaper reported on Thursday.

Last month another French newspaper said an agreement could be reached between September and the end of the year.

No one at Dassault was immediately available to comment

The UAE has been in talks with Dassault since 2008 over the purchase of 60 Rafale jets, estimated at 10 billion dollars, to replace the fleet of Mirage 2000s they bought in 1983.

French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said in July the United Arab Emirates was France's best bet in the short term for clinching an export deal for the Rafale. (Reporting by Caroline Jacobs; Editing by Will Waterman)

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Can Dassault Finally Close UAE Rafale Deal?

Posted by Robert Wall at 9/8/2011 2:17 AM CDT

Dassault seems to have a knack for pursuing the most difficult fighter competitions to secure its first export order for Rafale. Between the uncertainty of Brazil's F-X2 program and the Indian MMRCA program, neither is a straightforward affair.

But nothing can be as frustrating as the prolonged effort to sell Rafale to the United Arab Emirates, not least because it is not even a real competition in the traditional sense (even if Abu Dhabi has, at times, injected some hints of competition into the proceedings by talking to other suppliers).

With the Dubai air show approaching in November, Dassault is once more making a big push to finalize the fighter purchase. As the French financial daily, Les Echos, reports here, Dassault has dispatched a team to the UAE to try and close the deal.

What are the chances they will succeed? French industry officials are themselves not sure. This is the third or fourth time the negotiations are being restarted, notes one industry official, quipping that it is hard to keep count. Once again, it is far from clear whether the prospects for success are any better this time than in previous rounds.

What is different about the atmosphere surrounding the UAE program is there is a strong sense in France the purchase will happen, eventually, but there is probably nobody ready to put money on the timing.

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Scalpelling out a Rafale Deal

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 9/8/2011 5:01 AM CDT

I was told by senior industry officials at the Summer Defense University held in Brittany earlier this month (see my earlier posts) that the principal reason for renewed optimism for a sale not only to the UAE but also possibly to Qatar comes from the tremendously good impression their respective air forces got from the use of the Scalp missile -- made by MBDA -- in Libya.

As you may know the UAE and Qatari airforces flew joint operations with the French over Libya and so were able to see first hand the Rafale as a weapon system in a real combat situation.

And even if the Scalp could be deployed from a different aircraft, it is blindingly clear that if they want the Scalp they'll have to buy the Rafale.



Here's a Scalp all dressed up.



And here it is undressed and ready to go. Photos taken by me at the Solenzara air base in Corsica earlier this year.

[buglerbilly]

Arms Companies Fight Over Fighter Moniker

(Source: Reuters; published Sept. 9, 2011)

WASHINGTON --- A squabble among arms companies over what to call the world's most advanced warplanes could roil the competition for multibillion-dollar fighter contracts worldwide.

At issue is an esoteric term, "5th generation," to describe aircraft designed to dodge detection by enemy radar even when loaded with their weapons.

The term is applied first and foremost by aerospace experts to Lockheed Martin Corp's F-22 and F-35 fighters, which are built to appear as small as a swallow on radar screens.

Boeing Co., whose F/A-18 Super Hornet is set to compete against Lockheed's F-35 worldwide, has been keen to suggest that the "5th generation" tag overstates any real-world advantages of the F-35, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter.

"I think it's fair to say that the '5th-generation' terminology is a marketing terminology," Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing's chief executive for its defense business, told the Reuters Aerospace and Defense summit in Washington this week.

"We don't operate in a world today where it's an individual airplane against an individual threat," he said. "It's the combined forces and bringing all of those forces and their capabilities together."

Boeing, the Pentagon's No. 2 supplier by sales, is competing against Lockheed, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier, and the Eurofighter GmbH consortium for a potential $6 billion contract for about 40 fighters in Japan.

Boeing's offering is the Super Hornet, which it calls a combat-proven strike fighter with "built-in versatility."

Eurofighter is offering its multirole "Typhoon." It was selected as a finalist along with France's Dassault Rafale in a potential $11 billion Indian competition for 126 fighters. The Europeans beat the Super Hornet and Lockheed's earlier-generation F-16.

"The 5th-generation classification for fighters is just a commercial slogan and an abused one," Marco Valerio Bonelli, a spokesman for Eurofighter, said in an email. "Scoring the Eurofighter Typhoon against the same 'admission criteria' as the 5th-generation club would produce a much higher" ranking than the F-35, he said.

Fighter competition stakes are huge, including national prestige, ties between countries' military establishments and high-paying jobs and know-how that can enhance a nation's industrial base.

President Barack Obama made a strong pitch for Boeing's Super Hornet in March during a meeting with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, for instance. France's Rafale and Sweden's Saab's Gripen are also competing.

Lockheed says the 5th-generation category is widely accepted by U.S. and allied defense leaders to describe "stealth," or radar-evading, fighter technology.

"In truth, I'd really rather not get into a debate like this," said Michael Rein, a Lockheed spokesman who provided quotes from U.S. leaders praising the F-35. It is meant to achieve air dominance on Day 1 of any war.

The F-35 is due to form the bulk of U.S. tactical air power in coming decades, the Pentagon's costliest acquisition at some $382 billion for 2,443 aircraft in three models being built for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Eight foreign co-development partners are due to buy another 750 F-35s.

Richard Aboulafia, a fighter market expert at Teal Group, an aerospace consultancy in Fairfax, Virginia, said 5th generation planes did have "identifiable qualities that are superior."

"But individual aircraft are becoming less important than the broader network of sensors and control systems," he said.

-ends-

[ADMk2]

"The 5th-generation classification for fighters is just a commercial slogan and an abused one," Marco Valerio Bonelli, a spokesman for Eurofighter, said in an email. "Scoring the Eurofighter Typhoon against the same 'admission criteria' as the 5th-generation club would produce a much higher" ranking than the F-35

Completely true. He just forgot to mention that only Eurofighter is allowed to score this comparison, the data used to make such a comparison cannot be released under any circumstances and peers are not allowed to review this score. Ever. And like who cares anyway, because, because like Eurofighter has just invented a new helmet mounted crystal ball that like completely renders stealth obsolete and is so good anyone flying a Eurofighter will know where every F-35 is located anywhere in the Universe, every second of the day.

And a Eurofighter can supercruise at Mach 8 whilst carrying a dump truck on each hardpoint and can fly to the moon and back on internal fuel only and...

And anything Lockheed Martin says to the contrary is just a damn dirty lie!

Oops crazy switch should be set to off, shouldn't it! Sorry. Got a bit carried away there...

[buglerbilly]

Battle escalates over future Czech fighter contract as Gripen deal runs down

Fighter manufacturers are preparing to battle for the right to provide the planes that should protect Czech airspace after 2015

Martin Shabu | 14.09.2011 - 11:53

CZE


© ČESKÁ POZICE
A fight between the Gripen JAS-39 and F-16 to patrol Czech airspace looks on the cards

The clock is ticking down to the expiry of the 2015 contract under which JAS-39 Gripen supersonic jet fighters hired from the Swedish government to protect Czech skies. And while the date might still seem a long way off, speculation has been mounting about whether a deal for the Gripen planes will be renewed or another fighter plane chosen.

With budget cuts among the center-right government coalition’s biggest priorities, there is also talk of whether a new contract for fighters could be dropped altogether with some cheaper option found to protect Czech airspace. Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas (Civic Democrats, ODS) has played a leading role in the mounting debate and seems to have taken a stance against extending a Gripen deal in favor of Czech skies being protected by US fighters.

While most Czech pilots and the Czech army appear satisfied with the Gripen planes and keen to extend the deal, the future of the planes in Czech skies is tied up in the past and suspicions that massive bribes were used by the British-Swedish consortium of BAE Systems-SAAB when trying to land a Kč 60 billion deal to sell 24 JAS-39 fighters in 1999 through 2001. That deal was dumped by the Czech parliament in 2003 in favor of the ongoing leasing agreement with the Swedish government for 14 planes at a cost of around Kč 20 billion.

Nečas warned in June that it would be difficult to conceive of the Gripen contract being extended when a Czech corruption investigation about the original Gripen sale has still to be concluded and with the suspicions still outstanding. Nečas also won a pledge from his British counterpart, David Cameron that he would insure the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) would give Czech investigators every help possible on their stalled investigation. Documents from the SFO were delivered at the start of August.

PM’s Gripen doubts

Some might say that Nečas’ actions are merely a manifestation of the government’s anti-corruption crusade and his keenness to clear-up what could turn out to be one of the biggest graft cases in this country’s history. But his past comments about Gripen planes reveal clear misgivings about them. “Gripens have not yet been tested in combat, do no communicate with the technical equipment of NATO states and have half of the range of the F-16 because they cannot refuel in-flight,” the Czech prime minister commented in the past. Some suggest Nečas is playing a cunning tactical game to get the best deal possible from the Gripen manufacturers.

Highly-placed officials within the Ministry of Defense have confirmed to Czech Position that Nečas would like to see US fighter planes in the frame and is therefore taking steps to push BAE Systems and Gripen into a corner. US bids to protect Czech airspace could involve F-16s from Lockheed Martin or F-18s from Boeing.

Others suggest that Nečas is playing a cunning tactical game to get the best deal possible from the Gripen manufacturers. Either way, it is almost certain that some sought of decision on the protection of Czech airspace will be taken under the current government.

‘The Americans are discarding F-16s because they are moving to the F-35 [and] can offer them to allies in neat packages at bargain prices.’

From the US side, F-16 planes for the Czechs could be a low cost and profitable transaction for a favored ally. “The Americans are discarding F-16s because they are moving to the F-35. They will have thousands around the world which they will want to get rid of. They can offer them to allies in neat packages at bargain prices,” a source close to the Defense Ministry, who asked not to be named, confirmed.

Nečas’ spokesman denied he is taking any sides. “The prime minister has repeated that it is necessary to carry out a detailed analysis if and in what form the air force should take. At the moment, there is no hurry to take a decision. No preferences have been mentioned. I do not in any way want to respond to rumored ‘decisive’ declarations made by Prime Minister Nečas,” Jan Osúch said.

As well as the Gripens, F-16s and F-18s, other fighters mentioned in the past by the Defense Ministry as possible contenders to patrol the Czech skies are the Rafale produced by French arms company Dassault and the supersonic Eurofighter Typhoon from the consortium of EADS, Italy’s Alenia Aeronautica, and BAE Systems.

Decision deadline

The argument that there is no hurry for the Czech government to take a decision on a future fighter is contested by air force chief, Brigadier-General Jiří Verner. He points out that if a decision is made to switch to another plane than the Gripen then at least two years would be needed to train pilots to use it. “That is not an estimate, that is the experience of the Austrian and German air forces,” he added. As well as training, ground bases would also have to be adapted to a new plane, Verner pointed out.

“Logistics will have to be tailored to the change taking place and this will bring extra costs which are far from negligible. The 10-year contract for logistical support for the Gripens has worked almost flawlessly; I do not personally know of such a contract from the past or present that was so well tuned,” Verner added.

Past experience and military textbooks bear out the warning with technical back-up for aircraft on the ground often making up around 60 percent of overall equipment costs and the remaining 40 percent covering the purchase of the aircraft themselves.

Verner says that the army is fully satisfied with the Gripen deal, which, he says, has helped the Czech Republic become a respected member of NATO.

No low-cost option

Meanwhile, the former Czech Social Democrat (ČSSD) prime minister, Vladimír Špidla, who piloted the eventual Gripen hire deal with Sweden, warns that any thoughts of cutting costs by having no Czech fighter protection at all should be discarded.

“If we weren’t able to patrol airspace ourselves, the [NATO] alliance would not be able to leave a hole of around 80,000 square kilometers. We would have to hire out the services of another air force. Mostly likely it would be the Germans or Poles. Of course, this would come at a price. Any state hiring out such services would seek payment for them so that it did not lose out,” Špidla told Czech Position.

The Gripens had relatively low operating costs and the best solution for the future would be to stick with the Swedish planes, he added. The costs of F-16s were several times higher, he said, and he had information that the Polish army had problems with their planes. “To put it bluntly, they don’t fly that much with them. They have long disadvantageous periods between maintenance and flight deployment,” Špidla added.

[buglerbilly]

Belarus may buy outdated Su-30 fighters from Russia


Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet
© AFP/ Frederick Florin
07:46 16/09/2011

MOSCOW, September 16 (RIA Novosti)

Eighteen Su-30K fighter jets which were delivered by Russia to India in the 1990s could end up in service with the Belarusian air force, respected Russian business daily Kommersant said on Friday.

Russia and India agreed on the sale of advanced Su-30MKI fighters to the Indian air force in mid-1990s, but Moscow had not been able to deliver the aircraft until early 2000. The sides found a compromise - the first 18 fighter jets were delivered in downgraded version, Su-30K, on condition that they would be returned to Russia after being replaced with Su-30MKI.

According to Kommersant, the aircraft were formally returned to Russia's Irkut aircraft corporation, but never touched the Russian soil and ended up in Belarus.

The first 10 jets have been recently delivered to an aircraft plant in Baranovichi for a deep overhaul to the Su-30KN version, Kommersant cited a source close to Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport. The remaining eight are expected to arrive in November.

The source said Belarus was interested in buying the Su-30K because the country cannot afford new aircraft and the deal could be very cheap.

According to Russian experts, the current price for an outdated Su-30K after depreciation is about $10 million. An overhaul would require an additional $5 mln per plane.

"To buy a heavy fighter for $15 mln is a real bargain," Kommersant quoted Ruslan Pukhov, the head of the Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, as saying.

Despite the certain loss from such a deal, Irkut may be forced to sell the Su-30Ks to Belarus because the Russian Defense Ministry will not spend the money on old aircraft, and other potential buyers - Syria and Sudan - are out of the picture for political reasons.

[buglerbilly]

Brazil may reconsider buying jets in 2012-official

NEW YORK, Sept 21 | Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:37pm EDT

NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Brazil will hold off plans to purchase new fighter jets until at least 2012 as the government cuts spending to fight the global economic crisis, Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said on Wednesday.

The purchase of jet fighters was discussed in New York in a meeting between Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff and France's Nicholas Sarkozy, who would like to see Brazil select the Rafale jets produced by France's Dassault Aviation AVMC.PA

Other contenders are Boeing (BA.N) and Sweden's Saab (SAABb.ST).

But Rousseff told Sarkozy that plans to rebuild Brazil's dilapidated fleet of jet fighters will depend on the economy.

"Depending on the evolution of the global economic situation, if the crisis turns out to be less severe than some imagine, then those plans can resume next year," Patriota quoted Rousseff as saying. (Reporting by Walter Brandimarte; editing by Carol Bishopric)

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Fighter Wars

Posted by Bill Sweetman at 9/28/2011 9:28 AM CDT

We are headed for an interesting quarter in the fighter business -- with orders for 150-200 aircraft in play before anyone is singing Auld Lang Syne.

India is due to open the commercial bids for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft program by mid-October, launching a nail-biting few weeks for Eurofighter and Dassault. The tea-leaves are giving a slight edge to Eurofighter, but not enough of one to offset even a small perturbation on the political side.

Brazil has delayed its fighter decision again, until 2012. Saab's movement of Sea Gripen work to the UK, as noted last week, is aimed at bolstering its position in Brazil. High-level meetings continue between Saab and Embraer, exploring a proposal in which Gripen would become a joint program with Embraer as a permanent partner.

Gripen supporters argue that if the air force and Brazilian industry had wanted Rafale, the game would have ended when then-president Lula and French president Nicolas Sarkozy announced Rafale's victory in September 2009.

The fact that the decision was reversed could be significant, but it also leaves the Super Hornet as a strong candidate -- depending on the degree of US political influence that is brought to bear. (As the Swedes keep being reminded: You may have given the world Abba and Ikea, but the global influence of a neutral nation with a population smaller than Michigan is limited.)

Speaking of neutral nations, Switzerland is expected to resolve a dispute between its defense ministry and legislature on the issue of delaying its next fighter purchase, for which Gripen, Rafale and Eurofighter have been competing. Unusually, it's the legislature saying "go" and the ministry holding back, having commissioned a study from RUAG into the cost and feasibility of upgrading F-5E Tigers to perform homeland defense and lead-in training missions through 2020.

For the Joint Strike Fighter, the most visible story will be sea trials for the F-35B aboard the USS Wasp. However, there are other events in sight.

One of these is the first direct competition in a non-partner country, where three contestants - Lockheed Martin, Boeing (with the Super Hornet) and Eurofighter - submitted proposals on September 26. Again, a decision on a buy of 40-60 aircraft is due by year-end.

I will be staggered if the Typhoon wins, given the length, depth and complexity of the US alliance. But Japan's primary requirement is to replace F-4EJ Phantoms in the air defense role, which is Typhoon's long suit and was never a primary mission for JSF. And although the USAF has not formally set an initial operational capability date for the F-35A, the Japanese target of 2017 could be hard to meet.

Japan originally wanted the F-22, and the country and its US supporters kept pushing the issue until then Defense Secretary Robert Gates terminated F-22 production in 2009. Whether that frustration will be enough to spur Japan into the first import of a non-US combat aircraft since 1944 remains to be seen.

On the industrial side: Remember late last year, when Pratt & Whitney was warning that its suppliers were beginning to show signs of pain? The only supplier that P&W mentioned by name, Melbourne's Production Parts, went into liquidation last week. The company says that the slower-than-expected ramp-up of JSF production had left it unable to pay the debts that it had incurred as it invested to meet expected demand. As little as a year ago, the company was predicting a doubled workforce.

In the next few months we'll see if that was a fluke or a mine canary, but BAE Systems has also announced redundancies -- as a result of lower production rates for both the Typhoon and the JSF.

However, the big JSF story will be the Defense Acquisition Board review -- which was expected within weeks when the Senate last held hearings on the project, in May, but then was abruptly kicked back to the fall. The importance of DAB is that it has to include the Pentagon leadership's best estimates of full-production acquisition costs and operating costs- - the subject of rancorous debate for the past year-and-a-half. And if DAB slips further, that will also be news.

[buglerbilly]

Brazil in 'Urgent' Need Of Fighter Jets: Minister

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Published: 30 Sep 2011 11:54

BRASILIA - Brazil's defense minister has reignited speculation about a multi-billion-dollar fighter jet deal by saying his country is in "urgent" need of new combat aircraft despite this year's budget cuts.

The French Dassault's Rafale fighter, the U.S. Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Swedish Saab's Gripen NG have long been in stiff competition for the estimated $4-7 billion contract, as Brazil has postponed a final decision.

Brazil earlier this year postponed the expected purchase to 2012, citing the need for budget cuts in 2011 due to the deteriorating world economy.

But Defense Minister Celso Amorim said Sept. 29 that there was little time to waste, as Brazil's current fleet is aging rapidly.

"By the end of 2013, none of the 12 Mirage (aircraft) at the Anapolis air base will be in full flying condition. This is something that is really urgent, very important," Amorim said, according to a state-run news agency.

"The need to defend the Amazon, the borders - we need to have adequate combat aircraft," he said.

He reiterated Brazil's position that the "transfer of technology" is the key sticking point, as the emerging economic giant is keen to develop its own fighter aircraft manufacturing capability.

Brazil has repeatedly delayed making a decision on the tender for 36 new fighter jets.

Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had promised to declare a winner before leaving office at the end of 2010, but instead handed the tender over to his successor, Dilma Rousseff, who has put off making a choice and shown no preference for any of the jets.

The winning jet will form the spearhead of Brazil's air force for the next three decades and replace the vintage jets now patrolling the vast Amazon forest and protecting offshore oil finds.

[buglerbilly]

Boeing backs away from 2012 prediction for F-15 shutdown

By: Stephen Trimble Washington DC

1 hours ago

Source:

Boeing has backed off from previous forecasts that the 40-year-old F-15 production line would shut down next year in the absence of new orders, adding that there are a "number of pending" orders for the type.

"It is premature and inappropriate for us to even speculate on when the production line might close," Boeing said in a statement responding to questions from Flightglobal.

On 21 October last year, the Obama administration notified the US Congress of a possible sale of 72 F-15Es to Riyadh, but the deal with Saudi Arabia has now been pending for almost a year.

The proposed deal included significant capability upgrades for the nation's existing F-15SAs.

The 2010 notification signalled that the administration intended to move forwards with the sale, despite objections from Israel.

The Israeli government had openly expressed concerns that the sale of upgraded F-15Es to Saudi Arabia could erode its qualitative military advantage in the Middle East.

But the contract for the new batch of F-15s was never signed by Saudi Arabia, and the status of any negotiations remains unclear.

In mid-2010, Boeing officials said they would need a new contract for the F-15 before the end of 2011, to avoid a break in the production line.

The company is scheduled to deliver the last of 21 F-15Ks to South Korea in March 2012 (one pictured below), and Singapore's order for 24 F-15SGs is scheduled to be completed next year.


© Boeing

For now, the US airframer does not appear to be panicking about the possibility of a break in production.

In addition to the pending Saudi Arabian deal, the F-15SE Silent Eagle variant is competing for a follow-on contract in South Korea for 40 to 60 aircraft.

The competition includes the Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Sukhoi's PAK-FA.

However, Seoul is not planning to award a contract until at least October 2012.

The F-15 has been in continuous production for nearly 40 years, and is one of five active fighter production lines in the USA.

Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is scheduled to remain in production for the US Navy through to at least 2015.

Lockheed Martin is shutting down F-22 production in April next year, but its F-16 backlog is filled through 2014. F-35 production is planned to continue for nearly 25 years.

[buglerbilly]

Sweden Offers Gripen to Croatia

(Source: Saab AB; issued October 14, 2011)


Sweden has offered to loan Croatia older Gripen-A fighters as an interim solution if it decides to buy Gripen C/Ds to replace its elderly MiG-21 fighters. (Saab photo)

Today, the Swedish Defence and Security Export Agency (FXM) invited Croatian media to a press briefing in Zagreb to present the Swedish Gripen offer that has been submitted to the Croatian government.

Through FXM, the Swedish Government submitted an offer including the sale of either twelve or eight of the latest version of Gripen C/D. The offer also includes a support and training agreement for pilots and technicians.

In order to ensure that the Croatian Air Force remains operative without interruption when its current MiG-21s are decommissioned, Sweden is initially offering a loan of older Gripen-A aircraft until the delivery of the Gripen C/Ds.

Linked to a possible Croatian acquisition of Gripen fighters Saab offers an industrial co-operation package. Supported by the combined experiences and resources of its strong industrial network, Saab and the Gripen supplier base offers Croatia a partnership through a new generation defence and industrial co-operation programme. Saab is ready to commit to an industrial co-operation obligation valued at 100 percent of the contract value.

“Saab has an excellent track record of delivering on our promises in Czech Republic, Hungary and South Africa. We offer Croatia industrial co-operation programmes designed to create and sustain high tech jobs, delivering investment and generating sustainable export growth thus generating means to finance the acquisition of a new fighter system”, says Pierre Gauffin, Marketing Director Gripen Croatia, Saab.

Gripen is in operational service with the Swedish, Czech Republic, Hungarian, South African and Royal Thai Air Forces. The UK Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) is also operating Gripen as its advanced fast jet platform for test pilots worldwide.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

France In Final Talks On UAE Rafale Sale

Oct 17, 2011

By John Irish/Reuters
PARIS



France is in late-stage talks to sell Dassault Aviation-built Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said on LCI television on Monday.

“We are in final discussions,” Longuet said.

Asked how likely it was the deal would be completed, he said: “It’s extremely probable.”

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has handed the reins to sealing the deal with the UAE to his foreign minister, Alain Juppe, in the hope of concluding a deal by the end of the year.

The UAE has been in talks with Dassault since 2008 over the purchase of 60 Rafale jets, estimated at $10 billion, to replace the fleet of Mirage 2000s they bought in 1983.

The French company has still not found a foreign buyer for the multi-role Rafale, billed as one of the most effective but also one of the most expensive fighter jets in the world.

“It’s a big deal for a country when it equips its air force for 40 years, so the buyer has conditions and the industrial firm is defending its interests. That’s obvious.” Longuet said.

The aircraft-maker had come close to securing a multi-billion-dollar Rafale deal with Brazil, but the Brazilian government has delayed its decision until 2012.

Juppe has been at the forefront of French Middle East policy since taking the top job at the foreign ministry in February.

© 2011 Thomson Reuters.

[ADMk2]

Sweden Offers Gripen to Croatia

(Source: Saab AB; issued October 14, 2011)



Without being unkind, that's as many Gripen's as Croatia will likely be able to afford...

[buglerbilly]

Defense - 5.45 billion Kuna OR USD$1,005,970,000 or AUD$978,223,000 in 2008............based on this they may be able to afford a dozen or so..............the Industrial cooperation package gives them 100% Offsets value............


Linked to a possible Croatian acquisition of Gripen fighters Saab offers an industrial co-operation package. Supported by the combined experiences and resources of its strong industrial network, Saab and the Gripen supplier base offers Croatia a partnership through a new generation defence and industrial co-operation programme. Saab is ready to commit to an industrial co-operation obligation valued at 100 percent of the contract value.

The Croation government could be expected to get a return of what, 30-40% of this value in Taxes, etc........

[buglerbilly]

Brazil May Delay Fighter Purchase: Minister

By PIERRE TRAN

Published: 18 Oct 2011 11:04

PARIS - The international economic crisis has pushed Brazil's plans to update its fighter jet fleet to the sidelines, Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim said here Oct. 18.

"The fundamental consideration at the moment is the financial and economic world situation," Amorim said. "Brazil's economy is growing at 4 percent, but we don't exactly know what the consequences of the financial crisis will be.

"We have to be prudent, but our defense needs can't be forgotten and a decision can't be put off indefinitely," Amorim told journalists after meeting his French counterpart, Gérard Longuet.

Amorim said it was urgent to renew Brazil's fighter fleet because the Mirage 2000 aircraft bought as a stopgap would be "very expensive" to maintain from 2013, Amorim said.

But urgency had to be weighed against "material means," he added.

Brazil's previous president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had been keen to buy the Dassault Rafale, but his term of office expired without a contract with France.

Amorim said he did not rule out a decision next year but refused to be pinned down. Asked if a purchase could be envisaged next year, he said, "I don't exclude it. Do we envisage it? That's another question."

Longuet said France would go ahead with buying around 12 Embraer KC390 tactical transport aircraft as part of a sale of the Rafale.

"It's perfectly acceptable," Longuet said. "There's absolutely no objection in principle. The KC390 is part of the counterparty we can reasonably envisage."

Asked about Brazil's plans to buy new frigates and a fleet auxiliary tanker, Longuet replied, "I said, 'We have an excellent product.' My colleague replied, 'We have an excellent procedure for international competition,' and nothing prevented us from being a candidate in the bidding."

France hopes to sell its FREMM multimission frigate and an auxiliary ship, competing against Britain and other nations for the naval deal.

Amorim said Brazil would have to start thinking about building a new aircraft carrier to replace the French-built Foch, renamed the Sao Paulo. This would require imported technology and take decades, he said.

On the Rafale, Longuet said Oct. 17 on French TV news channel LCI that France was in advanced talks with the United Arab Emirates on the sale of 60 of the warplanes.

"We are in final discussions," Longuet said. It was "extremely probable" an export deal could be signed, he said.

[buglerbilly]

Decisions of the Federal Council on the Way Forward Following the Increase In the Expenditure Limit of the Army

(Source: Swiss Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport; issued Oct. 19, 2011)

(Issued in German; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)

The Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) will submit to the Federal Council by the end of this year its proposed decision on the type of new combat aircraft.

Meanwhile, the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) will outline to the Federal Council how to finance the increase in the army’s spending limit to 5 billion francs, as decided by Parliament for 2014.

During the fall 2011 session, Parliament decided to increase, beginning in 2014, the army’s spending limit to 5 billion francs. This represents about 600 million francs more than the amount provided in the current financial plan.

In doing so, Parliament wants to ensure the development of the army (DEVA) by increasing its authorized manpower to 100,000 soldiers, and guarantee the filling of existing gaps in equipment, as well as the acquisition of new combat aircraft.

The Federal Council instructed the FDF to present, along with the decision on the type of aircraft, the basis for its evaluation of the financial implications.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Gripen upgrade likely to heat up FX-2 race

Published: Oct. 19, 2011 at 3:39 PM

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Saab's upgrade of its Gripen fighter's engine gives the Swedish defense manufacturer an edge in the race to win Brazil's multibillion-dollar FX-2 fighter competition.

After early gains in negotiations by France's Rafale, made by Dassault Aviation, Boeing caught up in the contest with a quiet lobbying campaign that won support from U.S. President Barack Obama when he met with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in March.

Boeing is in the race with F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, while Saab's JAS-39 Gripen NG is hoping to gain an edge over Rafale, which remains unsold outside France. Rafale is pinning hopes on deals in India and the United Arab Emirates to set precedent for other prospective buyers of the fighter jet.

Brazil's FX-2 competition has been in the news since former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva set out plans in 2008 for defense modernization that includes further spending on the navy and ground forces.

An FX-2 deal was reported imminent throughout 2010 but was postponed to 2012. Brazilians cited budgetary cuts and varying offers on technology transfers, which they see as a steppingstone toward developing their own defense aviation industry.

Gripen is seen by defense analysts as a serious rival for both Boeing and Dassault but has faced criticism that its aircraft relies too much on U.S.-made parts. Saab's announcement that it was upgrading the engine signaled the manufacturer's determination to outshine its rivals in the FX-2 bid.

Brazil plans to buy up to 36 next-generation fighters but hasn't firmed up final order quantities or the period for payments and deliveries.

In September, Volvo Aero AB announced plans to increase the thrust produced by RM12 engines used on Gripen fighters. A number of technical solutions to achieve that capability were presented at a major international aero engine conference in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Volvo said it would increase thrust 2-15 percent, depending on customer requirements, through development of a new or modified fan providing an increased mass flow through the engine and a new turbine with materials able to withstand higher temperatures and an increased cooling flow.

Volvo Aero said its engineers will achieve this by adapting and modifying a more recent version of the turbine from General Electric.

"We have stated previously that it is possible to significantly increase the thrust of the existing RM12 engine at a very competitive cost," said Henrik Runnemalm, head of research at Volvo Aero.

"We will then have a more powerful and economical engine. It also means that we can upgrade the 220 engines that the air force already has while maintaining engine competence within the country."

Both Gripen and Rafale took advantage of the NATO-led campaign over Libya to show off battle capabilities.

The Swedish government insisted the Gripen fighters are limited to supporting the no-fly zone and won't perform ground attack sorties. Swedish media reports said the Gripen's involvement in Libya might encourage sales.

© 2011 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2011/10/19/Gripen-upgrade-likely-to-heat-up-FX-2-race/UPI-63971319053183/#ixzz1bNM1dc5D

[tiddles]

An engine uprade for the RM12 will not make a lot of difference on SAABs relience on the US parts as the RM12 is AFAIK an upgraded to 18.2k GE404. If it were improved to an extra 10-15% then it would give a 20-21k motor which would be an improvement for the planes already manufactured,many of which are for sale or lease,however I expect that the Gripen NG would use the GE414 as has been mooted, that is if the NG ever goes into production.
Tiddles

[buglerbilly]

Bulgaria to Delay Purchase of Military Aircraft on Budget Cuts

October 26, 2011, 8:48 AM EDT

By Elizabeth Konstantinova

Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Bulgaria will delay the purchase of eight fighter jets to replace Soviet-era aircraft because of budget cuts next year.

A procurement plan and tender for the acquisition of military aircraft will be postponed after the Cabinet decided to narrow the 2012 budget deficit to 1.35 percent of gross domestic product, from 2 percent this year, Defense Minister Anyu Angelov told reporters in Sofia today.

“Work on the procurement plan will continue, though it won’t be ready by the end of the year as initially planned,” Angelov said. “The tender procedure won’t be opened in 2012 due to insufficient financial support in the current budget.”

Bulgaria wants to replace its Soviet-era MiG-21 and SU-25 fighters with military aircraft that meet the requirements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The first delivery was previously planned for 2014 or 2015, Angelov said in a March 23 interview. Bulgaria also has 16 MiG-29 fighters, which it plans to use until their service life expires in 2029.

The European Union’s poorest state in terms of economic output per capita will narrow next year’s budget deficit to contain the impact of the euro area’s sovereign-debt crisis as economic recovery slows. The government plans to cut the budgets of defense and security agencies and increase spending on education, science, health care and the justice system, Finance Minister Simeon Djankov said on Oct. 24.

--Editors: Douglas Lytle, Balazs Penz

To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Konstantinova in Sofia at ekonstantino@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: James M. Gomez at jagomez@bloomberg.net

[ADMk2]

Gee, I never saw that coming...

Next we'll be told Croatia is delayin their's too...

[buglerbilly]

BUT we have an Albanian reader visits here........smart fart!

[JimWH]

Good on Bulgaria for taking the economically sound choice. As opposed to some other EU countries who continue to spend on national phallic symbols rather than contain their budgets (Greece *cough*).

[buglerbilly]

Well the French can continue to sell them shit seeing as they have been forgiven 50% of their debt!

I wonder if my bank will do that for my mortgage? :1010

Yeah, right...............

[JimWH]

You do wonder about the insane-troll-logic of a lot of countries. Becoming insolvent is a way bigger threat to the national security to about 90% of the world than armed conflict, not that you'd know it based on the utterly loony levels of expenditure.

[buglerbilly]

UAE Also Eyeing Typhoon in Combat Aircraft Competition

By PIERRE TRAN

Published: 13 Nov 2011 12:27

Dassault swore blind they had this one in the bag..........obviously it was tissue bag, a wet one at that.........UAE would be stupid to ignore the fact Typhoon final numbers are subject to reduction by various of the original Buyers, hence opens up quick and expeditious delivery options for them. Also Typhoon is subject to spiral development to greatly expand the Operational envelope and intro things like AESA radar, vastly improved air-to-ground capability, etc etc

RAFAEL spiral development is always going to lag behind with the French as the sole User............

DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has asked Britain to bid the Eurofighter Typhoon for its combat aircraft fleet competition, a British government spokesman said, dealing a blow to French efforts to sell the Rafale to the Gulf state.

"We have received the request for proposal for the Eurofighter Typhoon," an official from the U.K. Defense & Security Organization said Nov. 13 on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow. "We're working on it."

No figures were immediately available for the British bid.

The U.K. Minister for International Security Strategy, Gerald Howarth, was attending the exhibition as part of London's official support to place the Eurofighter in the UAE.

The British Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Stephen Dalton, was also in Dubai, flying the flag for the Royal Air Force, which flew two Eurofighters to the show. A Eurofighter was scheduled to fly in the daily display, as was the Rafale.

Dassault Aviation declined comment.

French Air Force officers heard of the Eurofighter news on Nov. 11, through a London embassy attaché.

The UAE has been in talks with France since 2008 on a sale of 60 upgraded Rafales, but the negotiations suffered political upsets along the way and Gulf officials saw the initial $10 billion tag as excessive.

On the Rafale talks, French defense minister Gérard Longuet told journalists here "the final stage has been well engaged and a flick of the eyebrows could mean hundreds of millions of euros either way."

Each side was defending its interests, but the talks were essentially between the Rafale commercial team and the UAE, he said.

The UAE's request for a Eurofighter bid was a case of "livening up the procedure," Longuet said, adding he still expected the UAE would order the Rafale in December when the Gulf state celebrated its 40th anniversary of founding.

An important price element was the Rafale's multirole capability, which meant the same crew could perform air combat, reconnaissance and close air support missions, Longuet said. For a country with a small population, that was a big saving in crew costs.

On the UAE's Mirage 2000-9 fleet, any decision in an "innovative solution" was a decision at the state level as part of a strategic relationship, above that of the ministry or manufacturer, he said.

Some Mirage 2000-9 units were aging, others were more recent, he said.

In the official opening of the show, UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Muhammad Bin Rashid Al-Makhtum made the briefest of visits at the Rafale stand in his tour of the exhibition.

Lockheed Martin has been in talks with the UAE on F-16 upgrades, mainly communications, to allow the U.S.-built fighters to talk to the F-35, F-16 business development executive William Henry said here.

In an upgrade that took units out of service, Lockheed offered sales of new F-16s to allow operators to maintain force levels, he said.

Lockheed also has talked to the UAE about sales of the F-35, Henry said.

"As air forces look to the future, the F-35 is going to be a key element of their force planning," he said.

Lockheed sees potential sales of 50 to 100 F-16s around the world, Henry said. On top of 18 F-16s ordered by Iraq, 52 units are on the backlog.

Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Naser Al Alawi, deputy commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense, told an air chiefs conference Nov. 12 that, in a new generation combat aircraft, the air force was looking for network capability, open architecture and interoperability.

A future weapon system would be versatile, multirole, and capable of handing modular sensors and payloads, Al Alawi said.

Other elements of the future aircraft would include upgradeable and expandable hardware and software, and the plane would be fast, agile and easily serviceable, he said.

The systems should also draw on dual use military-civil technology and offer versatility.

MBDA Chief Executive Antoine Bouvier said the European missile company has not received a request from Eurofighter or the UAE to work on an offer of weapons for the Typhoon.

The UAE Air Force flew its F-16 and Mirage 2000-9 fighters in the NATO-led coalition operation over Libya. Qatar also flew alongside with French missions.

That deployment yielded many "firsts," including the UAE's first time flying as a non-NATO member in a coalition air campaign, Al Alawi said.

Among the lessons learned from Libya were the need for integration of non-NATO elements into the alliance procedures, need for a well thought out communications plan among partner nations and the importance of exchange liaison officers, Al Alawi said.

The UAE is still in talks with the French government and industry for the Rafale, a Gulf source said.

UAE foreign minister Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan recently held a first meeting with his counterpart Alain Juppé, who has been tasked by president Nicolas Sarokzy to lead the export drive for the Rafale.

The request for a Eurofighter bid is the latest setback for France's Rafale foreign sale campaign. UAE officials asked Lockheed for information on the F-16s, on which the Gulf state has invested in co-development on its Block 60 version.

The U.S government was also out in force at the show, displaying the V22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for the first time here, as well the F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighters. The Apache attack helicopter was also at the show.

Bilateral ties between France and the UAE were back to normal after a hitting a low patch last year, when the Gulf state viewed the Paris government as ignoring its concerns.

[buglerbilly]

DUBAI: Boeing throws F-15, F/A-18 into UAE fighter modernisation mix

By: Stephen Trimble Dubai

1 hours ago

Source:

A top Boeing executive has added a new piece to the UAE's fighter modernisation puzzle, saying that the US government has delivered classified briefings about the capabilities of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the F-15E Strike Eagle.

Neither aircraft has been mentioned in the past as among the options for replacing the UAE air force's fleet of Dassault Mirage 2000-9s. The UAE has been negotiating with France for the Dassault Rafale since 2008, and within the last two weeks asked the Eurofighter Typhoon to submit a rival bid.

But UAE officials are still casting an even wider net as they consider all of their fighter modernisation requirements, said Jeff Kohler, Boeing vice-president of military business development.


© USAF

In August or September, the UAE formally requested classified briefings on the F-15 and F/A-18, Kohler said, which the US government obliged.

The briefings were not followed by the issuing of a request for proposals from Boeing, as Eurofighter has received. However, Kohler believes the UAE's interests in the Boeing fighters may be aimed at long-term requirements.

On 12 November, the UAE air force announced plans to acquire a "next generation fighter" in the 2018-2025 timeframe.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 joint strike fighter (JSF) has been previously named by the UAE as a potential acquisition target. But briefing requests may indicate that the F/A-18E/F and the F-15 Silent Eagle are also in the discussion, Kohler said. With the exception of all-aspect very low observability, or stealth, the F-15SE and F/A-18E/F international roadmap variant share many of the same sensor, avionics and weapons capabilities with the F-35.

"I think [UAE officials] would be interested, depending on exactly what they want," Kohler said.

[buglerbilly]

DXB11: Certain victory for Rafale turns uncertain

By Stephen Trimble on November 13, 2011 12:13 PM



So much for the rampant rumours (well, rampant throughout France anyway) that the UAE's long-delayed fighter contract was a done-deal for the Rafale.

Everything we know about the United Arab Emirates fighter modernisation plans have turned upside down within the first 24h of the Dubai Air Show.

Quick summary: Dassault Rafale still in, Saab Gripen still out, Eurofighter Typhoon made a surprise entrance, Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60 is now lurking and Boeing throws F-15 Silent Eagle into the mix.

And the UAE Air Force, meanwhile, confirmed it wants to buy a "next generation fighter" after 2018, when the Lockheed F-35 is, possibly, the only fighter of that general description outside of China and Russia still in production.

How did we get here?

The Rafale has been on the UAE's shopping list since the mid-1990s, but somehow the deal keeps sliding to the right -- and now risks evaporating entirely.

Riad Kahwaji, chief executive officer of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), told The DEW Line that latest manoeuvres are a clear signal: the UAE air force thinks France's price for the Rafale is too high. Major fighter deals are never immune from politics, but this deal is purely political. The UAE is buying the Rafale to balance its reliance on US-made weapons, including its fleet of 80 Lockheed F-16 Block 60s. Perhaps thinking the UAE has no other options, Dassault may have submitted a monopolistic price, Kahwaji said.

Even after negotiating exclusively with France for more than three years, the UAE has just re-opened the competition. The DEW Line's colleague, Craig Hoyle, broke the story on Flightglobal yesterday that the UAE issued a request for proposals to the Typhoon, setting up a second competition between the same pair of fighters vying for India's medium multi-role aircraft (MMRCA).

But the toll of the prolonged negotiations could be even greater for the Rafale. According to Kahwaji, who is well connected in Abu Dhabi, the UAE has already informed Dassault that the deal has been reduced from 60 fighters, with the balance shifted to a follow-on order of some number of F-16 Block 60s. Northrop Grumman, which supplies the APG-80 agile beam radar for the Block 60, confirmed this strategy today. Northrop told my colleague Greg Waldron that the UAE is considering a follow-on order for the Block 60. We asked Lockheed to confirm, but company officials declined.

That brings us to the last wrinkle in the competition exposed during the last few hours. Boeing now confirms that the UAE Air Force asked the US government in August or September for classified briefings on the capabilities of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15E. The Eurofighter consortium might reply: So what? The UAE asked the UK government to provide a similar briefing on the Typhoon in October, and it was the only fighter that received an RfP in the last two weeks.

Boeing, however, thinks the UAE may have other ideas for the Super Hornet or Silent Eagle. After all, if the UAE is seeking to balance its reliance on US-made fighters, shifting the final assembly line from Fort Worth, Texas, to St. Louis, Missouri, is not going to do them any favours. Instead, Boeing believes the UAE may be thinking more about the "next generation fighter" requirement.

Lockheed, however, doesn't seem worried. The F-35 is still barred by US export control officials for being sold or even marketed to the UAE, but that restriction will not last forever. Pressed to explain why he still cannot show the UAE so much as a desk model of the F-35, Lockheed vice president of business development replied: "It's coming, it's coming."

All of this can be little consolation to the fighter made in Merignac, France. No one doubts the French have a world-class fighter, but their negotiators have talked their way out of certain victory before. Allowing the UAE sale to slip away may not be devastating to the Rafale, with Brazil, India, Kuwait and Switzerland still in talks with the French. But such a loss would surely be long remembered in the industry as yet another can't-miss deal that only the French could mess up.

(Photo: Tom Gordon/Flightglobal)

[Gubler, A.]

Dassault swore blind they had this one in the bag..........obviously it was tissue bag, a wet one at that.........UAE would be stupid to ignore the fact Typhoon final numbers are subject to reduction by various of the original Buyers, hence opens up quick and expeditious delivery options for them. Also Typhoon is subject to spiral development to greatly expand the Operational envelope and intro things like AESA radar, vastly improved air-to-ground capability, etc etc

RAFAEL spiral development is always going to lag behind with the French as the sole User............

I think the UAE's needs might be a bit more immediate then Eurofighter's spiral development. Its one thing for the Sauds to buy a wing or two of EF2000s with limited ATG capability (at delivery) they have significantly more strike capability in other aircraft types (plus the Princes want the kickbacks). But for the UAE they need to multi role all their aircraft and with Iran getting hotter and hotter another wing of new aircraft with lots of capability looks the best bet (plus they don't have lots of Princes looking for quick cash).

Which is why the US offers of F/A-18F and F-15E are probably the surest bet. Plenty of slots of delivery within 2-4 years and aircraft with lots of ATA and ATG capability. Perfect for pounding the crap out of Iran. Also since the main stay of the force fighting side by side to defend them from Iran is going to be USAF/USN they are the systems they want to be interoperable.

[buglerbilly]

True but I thought an air-to-air slant would be a good back-up to the F-16's they already have............mind you they still have a problem finding a Mirage replacement that can fire/launch the Black Shaheen (UAE Storm Shadow) cruise missiles from France, plus the HAKIM PGM's they got from the UK, none of which are, as far as I know, qualified on any US aircraft.

The Brits used Tornado's to launch Storm Shadows but that might be a reflection of the Tranche/Block numbers they have as the Tranche 2, Block 15 aircraft were due to have Storm Shadow interface.

ALL of this could get kicked into touch by the Politics of the situation but it sure is interesting..................

[Gubler, A.]

True but I thought an air-to-air slant would be a good back-up to the F-16's they already have............mind you they still have a problem finding a Mirage replacement that can fire/launch the Black Sheen (UAE Storm Shadow) cruise missiles from France, plus the HAKIM PGM's they got from the UK, none of which are, as far as I know, qualified on any US aircraft.

What about their Miro MICAs? I don't see this as an issue. Any new buy of F-15 or F/A-18 will come with SLAM-ER, JSOW, JDAM, etc. Besides the life of their Black Sheenen and Hakims have to be expiring soon and while they could be refitted they have never minded spending more money on new build.

[buglerbilly]

The MICA's are a lot older hence a lot closer to their lifecycle termination and expiry. Whatever is chosen is going to take at least 18-27 months to get into service depending on delivery commitments and available production slots.

The whole point of the Hakim's, in particular, was to remove ANY problem geting authorisation from any Overseas government. I also don't see the Hakims going out of life any time soon. The Black Shaheens is another matter........possibly? No idea what the life cycle for a cruise missile is but they are not too far into it whatever it is.

Bit of a moot point now as the USA seems to authorise more or less anything the UAE asks for. This assumes, above all, that the UAE picks US planes and that is NOT guaranteed.

[ADMk2]

True but I thought an air-to-air slant would be a good back-up to the F-16's they already have............mind you they still have a problem finding a Mirage replacement that can fire/launch the Black Shaheen (UAE Storm Shadow) cruise missiles from France, plus the HAKIM PGM's they got from the UK, none of which are, as far as I know, qualified on any US aircraft.

The Brits used Tornado's to launch Storm Shadows but that might be a reflection of the Tranche/Block numbers they have as the Tranche 2, Block 15 aircraft were due to have Storm Shadow interface.

ALL of this could get kicked into touch by the Politics of the situation but it sure is interesting..................

The F-16 Block 60 /APG-80/Aim-120 C7 AMRAAM is a more lethal air to air capability than they have with the M2K-9's or with Rafale in it's current configuration, which seems to be UAE's main point of contention over buying the Rafale, besides it's high price.

Until the Rafale gets a strong radar and missile upgrade (which like ALL Euro-Canards is "planned" and has been for donkey's years, but very little action on those plans has occurred) it would actually be a backwards step acquring it in favour of more Block 60's.

The only thing in it's favour is the Black Shaheen standoff missile. If Abe is correct and access to the US standoff weapons capability is opened up to the UAE, then even that one remaining advantage is gone...

[ADMk2]

Some pretty strong words here from UAE...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/16/uae-warplanes-idUSL5E7MG2H620111116

Rafale warplane deal stalled, UAE says proposal 'unworkable'

Nov 16 (Reuters) - A long-awaited French deal for Dassault to sell at least 60 Rafale warplanes to the United Arab Emirates appeared to hit a roadblock on Wednesday after the Arab country's crown prince said proposed terms were "uncompetitive and unworkable."

The deal, which had been negotiated for the better part of a year, was thrown into doubt earlier this week when it became clear that the UAE had asked for details on a rival aircraft, the Typhoon built by the Eurofighter consortium.

"Thanks to President (Nicolas) Sarkozy, France could not have done more diplomatically or politically to secure the Rafale deal," Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, deputy of the country's armed forces, said in a statement, adding that Sarkozy's "personal intervention in this process has sustained Dassault at the forefront of our considerations."

"Regrettably Dassault seem unaware that all the diplomatic and political will in the world cannot overcome uncompetitive and unworkable commercial terms," he said.

A source close to the deal blamed the current impasse on the "arrogance" of Dassault, despite French military officials saying they were confident about securing a deal and hopes of finalising the sale at the Dubai Air Show.

"There is a shared frustration in both the UAE and French leaderships at the apparent arrogance of Dassault," the source said.

"Rather than using the strength of the bilateral relationship to close the deal out they are attempting to use it to hold out on pricing and a deal structure that hasn't changed in more than a year and that has been significantly bettered by all competitors."

French air chief General Jean-Paul Palomeros had told Reuters on Monday that the Emirates air force was "very keen with Rafale".

France is struggling to secure a foreign buyer for the aircraft, which is more developed than fourth generation combat aircraft but lags behind fifth generation multi-role fighters such as Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II.

The United Arab Emirates has pressed for the aircraft's engines to be upgraded with extra thrust and for better radar, industry sources have said, but Palomeros said UAE officials are satisfied with the plane.

[buglerbilly]

I did a lot of work with a French part of a Global company 15-16 years ago. We mutually worked hard to put together a Partnering Agreement AND made it work, unlike 90% of the rest of them.............

The French CEO had worked a lot on the French LECLERC MBT on the Hyperbar high-compression engine in particular, Compression being their speciality, large and small.............he'd worked with Dassault on something or another previously. His opinion of them was savage and verbose, to say he loathed them was putting it very mildly. Even his people were astonished at his venom.

I'm NOT surprised to see this pomposity continues................

[buglerbilly]

A bit more on this.........via Defense News.......

UAE Declines France's Rafale Deal

By PIERRE TRAN

Published: 16 Nov 2011 09:00

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The industrial terms in the French effort to sell the Dassault Rafale fighter to the United Arab Emirates were "unworkable," Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, deputy supreme commander of the armed forces, said Nov. 16.

"Thanks to President Sarkozy, France could not have done more diplomatically or politically to secure the Rafale deal," bin Zayed said, according to WAM, the Emirati official news agency.

"Regrettably Dassault seem unaware that all the diplomatic and political will in the world cannot overcome uncompetitive and unworkable commercial terms," he said.

Dassault had been "at the forefront of our considerations," he added.

Dassault officials were not immediately available for comment.

France has been negotiating to sell 60 Rafales to the United Arab Emirates to replace its fleet of 60 Mirage 2000-9 fighters. The United Arab Emirates has been seen as the best prospect for the first export order for the fighter jet.

A Rafale order, however, was seen by the Emirati authorities as a political favor requested by Paris for domestic reasons.

"This is not a requirement," a Gulf source familiar with the talks said. "It was pushed as a political purchase."

Emirati authorities are unhappy with what they see as French industry's failure to "understand the political nature" of the deal.

That has led deep dissatisfaction in the United Arab Emirates with the entire package, including the terms, specifications and price.

"The price is ridiculous," the source said.

The United Arab Emirates has responded by issuing a request for proposal to Britain for the Typhoon, following an Oct. 17 briefing on the combat aircraft built by the Eurofighter consortium. Emirati officials had already requested information for the Boeing F-15 and F-18, as well as the Lockheed Martin F-16.

"This is now an open competition," the Gulf source said. "It is going to take months to go through the offers and compare the data."

No deal is expected in the near future.

There was a sense of unease among Emirati officials over the French "mechanism," seen as lacking coordination between the various parts of the offer.

Sarkozy's October appointment of foreign minister Alain Juppé as lead in the Rafale talks was seen by Emirati officials as a sign of distress and belated realization of a need to bring order to the fighter negotiations.

French media have reported that Sarkozy had been determined to secure a first export order for the Rafale, widely seen as a flagship of French aeronautical excellence and a much needed foreign revenue earner for the public purse.

[ADMk2]

Yep they appear to be a bunch of geese. This is the same crap that cost them the Morroco deal. For a nation "desperate" to sell their fighter, they su manage to find a way to ferg it up...

With an uncompetitive fighter (minus the never ending string of upgrades that are "just about to happen" to make it competitive capability wise) plus the ridiculous prices they want to charge (154m Euros a piece, without upgrades last I heard) is it any wonder they can't sell the thing?

[tiddles]

Even their biggest supporters on other Forums particularly KeyPub are frustrated with the way Dassault [& the French Govt] have gone about trying to sell the rafale ,not only to the UAE but in other comps as well. Their competitors just have to sit back and wait for them [Dassault] to shoot themselves in the foot.In the case of the UAE it is hard to see just what the rafale can do what the F16 cant or couldnt [I dont think the F16 has a stand off missile ] in fact during the Libyan junket i could not help noticing that the rather unheralded FA18s of the Canadians were doing a similar job to the Rafale although no stand off missile yet.One thing the Rafale excells at is good looks but that wont win $billion comps.
Tiddles

[Gubler, A.]

Even their biggest supporters on other Forums particularly KeyPub are frustrated with the way Dassault [& the French Govt] have gone about trying to sell the rafale ,not only to the UAE but in other comps as well. Their competitors just have to sit back and wait for them [Dassault] to shoot themselves in the foot.In the case of the UAE it is hard to see just what the rafale can do what the F16 cant or couldnt [I dont think the F16 has a stand off missile ] in fact during the Libyan junket i could not help noticing that the rather unheralded FA18s of the Canadians were doing a similar job to the Rafale although no stand off missile yet.One thing the Rafale excells at is good looks but that wont win $billion comps.

The Rafale was always going to be a very difficult aircraft to sell. It has a unique cockpit/helmet design (HMI) that is totally different to every other aircraft which basically uses the same approach. So if you want to buy the Rafale you are going to have to train your fighter pilots in a different way to operate this unique cockpit. Also you need to overcome the generalised opposition to this unique HMI from the more conservative elements of your fighter force. So it doesn’t help that the asking price is heaps and they won’t flex the contract towards where you want it to be. So no surprise the Rafale did not sell like the Miro did.

[ADMk2]

Even their biggest supporters on other Forums particularly KeyPub are frustrated with the way Dassault [& the French Govt] have gone about trying to sell the rafale ,not only to the UAE but in other comps as well. Their competitors just have to sit back and wait for them [Dassault] to shoot themselves in the foot.In the case of the UAE it is hard to see just what the rafale can do what the F16 cant or couldnt [I dont think the F16 has a stand off missile ] in fact during the Libyan junket i could not help noticing that the rather unheralded FA18s of the Canadians were doing a similar job to the Rafale although no stand off missile yet.One thing the Rafale excells at is Ggood looks but that wont win $billion comps.
Tiddles

F/A-18's have a range of potential standoff weapons available from JSOW, SLAM-ER, Tuaras KEPD-350 and now JASSM. The Canadians don't operate a standoff weapons from their Hornets because they don't have a requirement for such a weapon.

There are plent of options available though, just as there are for the Rafale's modern competitors. The fact that Rafale has SCALP / Black Shaheen available is not such a big deal anymore.

Re: Libya. Despite the enthusiasm in some places for Rafale, Typhoon, Gripen etc, it was still F-16's and F/A-18's that did the bulk of the work on that op...

The Euro-Canards in many, many ways are still trying to catch up to the capability any modern F/A-18 or F-16 user already has from their mounts...

[tiddles]

The Rafale was always going to be a very difficult aircraft to sell. It has a unique cockpit/helmet design (HMI) that is totally different to every other aircraft which basically uses the same approach. So if you want to buy the Rafale you are going to have to train your fighter pilots in a different way to operate this unique cockpit. Also you need to overcome the generalised opposition to this unique HMI from the more conservative elements of your fighter force. So it doesn’t help that the asking price is heaps and they won’t flex the contract towards where you want it to be. So no surprise the Rafale did not sell like the Miro did.
Just to add to the situation I am fairly sure that the HMS cant cue the Mica missile for an off boresight shot . From what I have read French Rafale drivers have commented that in excercises against Aircraft with HMCS they have devised special tactics to handle the situation.I have not seen any info as to what these tactics are but it might include the POQ tactic. Rafale to me is an oportunity lost due to the slow development of the plane,but to be fair neither the French or the EF users have needed a new plane in any hurry due the makeup of their Airforces and the lifespan of the planes they have and also the end of the cold war.The slow arrival of the Cde G as a working unit meant that even the Naval version of the Rafale has not been needed in any hurry.Contrast this with the USN that had a fairly rapid need to replace the F14 And aging Hornets,this meant that Boeing developed the SH now at BK2 and well ahead of its Eurocanard rivals in warfighting ability because it was needed reasonably soon, and the development money was spent to get a state of the art 4.5 gen plane.If Dassault really wanted export success it should have spent some money in the past to get an up to date plane on the market not promises,promises.
Tiddles

[ADMk2]

Just to add to the situation I am fairly sure that the HMS cant cue the Mica missile for an off boresight shot . From what I have read French Rafale drivers have commented that in excercises against Aircraft with HMCS they have devised special tactics to handle the situation.I have not seen any info as to what these tactics are but it might include the POQ tactic. Rafale to me is an oportunity lost due to the slow development of the plane,but to be fair neither the French or the EF users have needed a new plane in any hurry due the makeup of their Airforces and the lifespan of the planes they have and also the end of the cold war.The slow arrival of the Cde G as a working unit meant that even the Naval version of the Rafale has not been needed in any hurry.Contrast this with the USN that had a fairly rapid need to replace the F14 And aging Hornets,this meant that Boeing developed the SH now at BK2 and well ahead of its Eurocanard rivals in warfighting ability because it was needed reasonably soon, and the development money was spent to get a state of the art 4.5 gen plane.If Dassault really wanted export success it should have spent some money in the past to get an up to date plane on the market not promises,promises.
Tiddles

The Rafale doesn't even have a Helmet mounted sight, which is why it can't cue high offboresite MiICA-IR missile shots, except through datalinking. It has a helmet, but the Gerfaut cueing sensor was deleted as a cost saving measure years ago.

French Rafale fans boast that they can "off-board cue" MICA-IR shots and therefore it doesn't need the HMS. F-22 fanbois make the same argument with the AIM-9M. But so can every fighter that has Link 16 and MIDS.

However how well this would work in a turning fight is extremely debatable and if your wingman or other sensors aren't available to provide off-board cueing data, or they can't update quickly enough, or you're in an EM denied environment and you don't have an HMS, then you need to rely on hauling your aircraft around until the IR missile seeker or HUD FOV can observe the target. Clearly this is not an advantage over an opponent that has all of the above AND a HMS, like the Gripen, F-15, F-16, F/A-18 of all models, Typhoon, MiG-29, SU-30 and so on.

The fighter with the HMS however merely has to look at his target and can target his IR missile in a turning fight. He doesn't have to rely on off-board targetting or turning the aircraft into the FOV of the missile seeker or HUD view. No matter how good your other sensors, none are going to be as fast as simply looking at your target and cueing your weapon. Unless you have something like EODAS.

This is where the "maneuvrerability is irrelevant" claim that L-M makes in relation to the JSF matters so much. The JSF has the best HMS available plus it has EODAS auto-tracking every single object in a 360 degree bubble around the aircraft. With HOBS weapons that can launch in a 360 degree bubble and engage targets at ranges beyond 5k's as RAAF has demonstrated it already can do with Hornet and ASRAAM, effectively any jet getting within a 5k radius of the JSF is at threat, provided it has a weapon with the HOBS capability of the ASRAAM.

The JSF then has the best of all worlds, which is why REAL pilots and battle commanders consider it so lethal. The idea that the JSF can't turn is ridiculous, it can but the chances of it needing to are slim whilst it enjoys it's unique advantages.

It has full LO capability giving it a massive BVR advantage over any non-LO jet and a big headache even to other LO jets.

It has the most capable fighter radar in existence. It has inherent IRST capability through EOTS and LO fighter unique datalinking capability.

It has 9G agility (in the -A model) so most aircraft won't be significantly more agile than it. Some will undoubtedly be more agile but only in fractions of percentages above it and unlikely to be enough to matter when compared to the lethality of HOBS missiles, which even APA allows have moved WVR combat to the point that first shot is of paramount importance.

It has the best HMS in existence.

It has the utterly unique EODAS which constantly tracks every other aircraft around the JSF aircraft and the software capability to prioritise threats based on this constant data feed and engage them accordingly.

Matched to a lethal HOBS weapon, there won't be a better WVR fighter at it's entry to service.

Hence why added HOBS capability was such a big part of the AMRAAM -D upgrade and why it's an essential component of JDRADM (or whatever the new designation is for the US future air to air / anti-radiation missile).

This is one of many areas that Dassault have failed to fully develop it's "next generation" aircraft and when you compare it to the capabilities of other modern fighters, let alone the shortly to be introduced F-35, you wonder exacly why it cost so much even when it was in full rate production and why they are so arrogant about it as Morocco and now UAE have reported.

Is it really a wonder why they've never sold it?

(It costs even more now that they've been unable to convince anyone to buy it and they're only producing 11 per year...)

[tiddles]

We have been discussing the Rafale and I have noticed links to FOX 3 Number 15 and 16 are available.
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/dae/sponsors/sponsor_rafale/img/fox3_15.pdf
http://www.defense-aerospace.com/dae/sponsors/sponsor_rafale/img/fox3_16.pdf
Tiddles

[buglerbilly]

Gripen Beats Rafale, Typhoon for Swiss

Nov 30, 2011

By Robert Wall wall@aviationweek.com
LONDON



Switzerland has opted to buy 22 Saab Gripen JAS-39E/Fs in its long-running F-5 Tiger replacement program, says Defense Minister Ueli Maurer.

Gripen beat out the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon—Boeing withdrew the F/A-18E/F early from the program.

The arrangement marks a big setback for Dassault, which was hoping to finally secure its first export deal for Rafale. Eurofighter also was eager to convince Switzerland to join the family; Italy, Austria and Germany already fly the aircraft. Switzerland also considered an F-5 extension, but that was deemed too expensive.

All three main contenders met the requirements put forward by the services. But the Gripen had several advantages, Maurer says, including price, which leaves money left over for other military needs.

The Gripen had both the lowest acquisition costs and lower 30-year life-cycle costs by far, says Maurer. The procurement program is likely to cost less than 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion).

Moreover, Switzerland liked the potential for industrial cooperation on offer from Saab.

Maurer acknowledges the Swedish fighter may not be the highest-end technical option, but he says it is a good fit for Switzerland and meets the country’s needs.

Switzerland and Sweden will now refine the program in the coming months. That includes setting up pilot training, including potential training in Sweden. Also still under review is whether final assembly of the aircraft will take place in Switzerland.

All three bidders provided good offset packages that were essentially equivalent—100% of the value of the deal has to be offset. The industrial participation packages were also attractive across the board, the Swiss say.

The exact delivery schedule is being negotiated. The first aircraft is likely to arrive in 2015 and all aircraft are to be handed over in a 2-3-year period.

Maurer says no decision has been made on whether the Gripen would also serve as the eventual replacement for Switzerland’s existing fleet of older F/A-18s.

The Swiss government also considered a smaller procurement, but a decision was made to field at least two squadrons, requiring 22 aircraft. At one point, the program was sized to equip three squadrons, or 33 aircraft, but was ruled out for financial reasons.

Saab file photo

[buglerbilly]

The Federal Council Decides to Purchase 22 Gripens

(Source: Swiss Ministry of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports; issued Nov. 30, 2011)

(Not issued in English; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)


Switzerland has chosen an upgraded version of the Saab Gripen, seen here during its evaluation, to replace its obsolete F-5E Tiger II lightweight fighters. (Swiss MoD photo)

The Federal Council has decided to acquire 22 combat aircraft of the type Saab Gripen to replace the obsolete F-5 Tigers. It is expected to submit this acquisition to Parliament as part of the Armaments Program 2012.

During the fall session, Parliament set guidelines for the development of the armed forces.

It decided to increase the defense budget to 5 billion francs beginning in 2014 to allow funding for 100,000 military personnel, filling gaps in their equipment and the refurbishing of real estate holdings.

At the same time, Parliament instructed the Federal Council to initiate the procedure for acquisition of new combat aircraft before the end of the year.

At today’s meeting, the Federal Council fulfilled this mandate by deciding to acquire, to replace the obsolete F-5 Tigers, 22 Saab Gripen fighter jets.

Three candidates were vying to become Switzerland’s new fighter aircraft: the Rafale of the French company Dassault, the Eurofighter of the European consortium EADS / Cassidian, and the Gripen of the Swedish company Saab.

The Federal Ministry of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (the Department) had earlier submitted the three candidates to a thorough evaluation which lasted several years.

This evaluation showed that the three aircraft met Swiss military requirements, and were thus suitable for consideration as our country’s new fighter jet.

The acquisition of new fighter aircraft is part of the development of the armed forces.

For the department, this means that such a project must also be sustainable in the medium and long term.

Even with a military budget set at 5 billion francs, it is imperative to make further savings. It is also necessary to promptly and widely fill gaps in equipment, and to clean up the housing stock.

Under these circumstances, financial criteria played a preponderant role in the selection of the aircraft type.

By opting for the Saab Gripen, the Federal Council chose a fighter jet that meets military requirements while remaining financially sustainable for the Department and the military, in the medium term as well as over the long term.

The Gripen is significantly more affordable than the other two offers, not only for acquisition but also in regard to maintenance costs.

This decision allows the acquisition of a high-performance aircraft without compromising other areas of military capabilities, nor their essential equipment.

The choice of the Federal Council reflects its desire to invest in the security of our country, while remaining reasonable in terms of financial policies and bearing in mind the sustainability of the system as a whole.

The council knowingly decided not to position Switzerland at the highest European level in terms of the performance of its new combat aircraft.

Like the two other competitors, Saab has committed to offset 100 percent of the contractual value through orders awarded to Swiss industry.

These offsets will allow our industry to access expertise and advanced technology and to establish lasting business relationships.

The Federal Council therefore also hopes also that the acquisition of new combat aircraft will give a positive impetus to Switzerland as a business location, and to Swiss research.

The Federal Council has now instructed the Department to finalize, with Saab and the Swedish government, the specific terms of such an acquisition and to seek to fully optimize the overall package.

The DDPS must submit to the Federal Council by February 2012 several alternatives for the purchase of the 22 Gripens. This acquisition will then be submitted to Parliament as part of the Armaments Program 2012.

Financial Implications

On September 29, 2011, Parliament asked the Federal Council to increase to 5 billion francs, beginning in 2014, the expenditure ceiling for the armed forces to allow the purchase of new fighter aircraft,; to fund military personnel levels of 100,000; to address gaps in military equipment; and to refurbish defence real estate.

This increase exceeds by approximately 600 million francs the amount earmarked in the 2013-2015 financial plan of the legislature. To finance these additional expenditures, it is thus necessary to either find additional revenues, or to identify savings, of the same order of magnitude.

The Federal Council has instructed the Federal Finance Department to submit by early 2012 the financial basis required for these decisions.

When it submits to Parliament its report on armaments acquisition for 2012, the Federal Council will decide how to finance the increased spending, and will table its decision for consultation.

A related message to the Federal Parliament could thus be adopted by late 2012 or early 2013.

A possible savings program would take the form of an act of Parliament, subject to referendum, and would be legally tied to the authorization to finance the acquisition of combat aircraft.

A legally binding order for the aircraft would not be awarded until after Parliament’s decision and, as appropriate, after a popular vote.

(ends)

Swiss Pick Saab's Gripen Fighter

(Source: The Local.se; posted Dec. 1, 2011)

The Swiss government on Wednesday confirmed their intention to purchase 22 Swedish Saab Gripen Fighter jets, choosing the less expensive Swedish plane over the Eurofighter or the Rafale.

”What is good for Sweden and other countries must also be good for Switzerland,” said minister for defence Ueli (Ulrich) Mauer at a press conference on Wednesday.

According to Mauer it was Gripen's qualities, price, as well as the industrial relationship with the Saab defence group that clinched the deal.

Rumours regarding the purchase were circulating already early on Wednesday, making defence and security company Saab stocks surge on market.

News agency TT reported that the local papers estimated the sale being worth close to 22 billion Swedish kronor ($3.29 billion).

The Swiss decision to go with Gripen was controversial and local Swiss media pointed out that it would cost Switzerland significantly less than would the same number of the Eurofighter or the French Rafale.

Gripen allegedly didn't do that well in two of the tests performed, but the fighter's advocates argue that the aircraft has previously done better and that it is the overall performance that would count.

However, critics claim that the price tag ultimately closed the deal.

”The purchase of Gripen might not mean that we get the best fighter plane in Europe. But we'll have a plane that meets our expectations – and we haven't planned to break any world records in this area,” Mauer said at the press conference.

Before the Swiss press conference the Saab group said they were aware of what the Swiss papers were claiming but wouldn't confirm nor deny the information until official confirmation had been received.

(ends)

Swiss Referendum May Stop Sale of Swedish Fighter Jets

(Source: Radio Sweden; published Dec. 1, 2011)

Swedish fighter jets may not be winging their way to Switzerland, despite a Swiss government announcement on Wednesday that Sweden’s Saab JAS Gripen had won the bidding process to supply the country with 22 new war planes.

Several of Switzerland’s largest opposition parties, including the Green Party and the Social Democrats have pledged to collect the necessary 100,000 signatures to hold a national referendum on the sale worth more than US$ 3 billion.

“We don’t need any new war planes, it’s an unnecessary luxury,” Social Democrat defence spokesperson, Evi Alleman, told Swedish Radio News.

Other Swiss opposition parties have given their support to the deal which came in at about US$1 billion under competing bids from Eurofighter and the French Rafale.

(ends)

Swiss Air Force to Get Swedish Jets

(Source: Swiss Info; posted Dec 1, 2011)

Switzerland has chosen the Gripen fighter jet manufactured by Sweden’s Saab group to replace the Air Force’s fleet of US-made F5 Tigers.

The decision, based on the recommendation of Defence Minister Ueli Maurer, has drawn fire in the Thursday newspapers.

One of the main criticisms is that the jet, which is still a prototype, might not get enough takers to ensure that it and its parts are actually available when needed.

"One is bound to a manufacturer for 40 years when purchasing aircraft. But the Gripen might be discontinued if there are too few orders," pointed out the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper.

The La Liberté newspaper featured a political cartoon showing Maurer struggling with tools, instructions and a tower of IKEA boxes – hinting that the jets might not be the bargain they appear to be. Le Temps ran a similar cartoon

Parliament has to approve the choice before the order can be placed.

"Yet even if they clear the parliamentary hurdles, it is uncertain whether the 22 Gripen will ever land in Switzerland," said Der Bund newspaper, echoing the fears of the Tages-Anzeiger.

"Clever" choice

The Gripen was in competition with the Rafale, made by the French Dassault company and the Eurofighter of the EADS group – a European consortium headquartered in Paris and Munich.

Le Temps described Maurer as clever for selecting the more "modest and reasonable" option, noting that the Rafale would have been shot down for its "excessive" price and because of "verbal attacks and the arrogant attitude of French leaders toward Switzerland".

“In opting for the Saab Gripen, the government chose a fighter jet that meets military requirements while also going for a solution that is financially acceptable for the defence ministry and for the armed forces, in both the medium and long term,” a ministry statement explained.

Maurer told a media conference on Wednesday that the Gripen was by far the cheapest option of the three aircraft in contention. He put the total cost of the fleet of 22 aircraft at about SFr3.1 billion ($3.4 billion).

While not questioning the capabilities of the other two aircraft, Maurer pointed out that the extra cost would have left less room for manoeuvre in the overall defence budget, which has also to cover the operation of an army of 100,000 and the upgrade of equipment.

“The best army in the world does not consist of the world’s best aircraft plus halberds,” he said.

The government had wanted to defer the purchase of the fighters while looking for a method to finance it, but had come under pressure from parliament to take a decision.

Properties unclear

The Gripen had not been chosen because it was the “latest and most up to date fighter”, Maurer said, but rather because it was the one "most suitable" for Switzerland.

He added that it had come out better in some areas than in others in the evaluation, but he refused to be drawn on details, saying that the government was bound by an agreement with the three companies not to publish the results of the assessment.

As yet the Gripen model that the Swiss will buy exists only on paper. It is to be developed on the basis of an already existing jet, and it is possible that final assembly will take place in Switzerland.

Muted enthusiasm

There has been a mixed reaction to the decision in Switzerland.

Those who had been calling for a speedy purchase were muted in their enthusiasm for the choice, but welcome the fact that a decision had been made.

Position papers by the Swiss Officers’ Society and the rightwing People’s Party described it as “an important step towards the procurement of a new fighter jet and the implementation of parliament’s most recent decisions on the army”.

The two groups do not go into details about the qualities of the Gripen, although the officers say they presume the jet has “the qualities needed by a modern air force”.

But both warn that the purchase of the aircraft must not be at the expense of other parts of the army, stressing that shortcomings in equipment need to be made good.

The centre-right Christian Democratic Party, which has been split over the need for the new fighters, told the Swiss News Agency that as far as it was concerned the decisive issue was the financing of the purchase.

Gleam of hope

Opponents of any purchase of fighter jets want the decision to be put before Swiss voters. If necessary, the pacifist group Group for Switzerland without an Army (GSoA) and the Greens say they will launch an initiative calling for a moratorium on the purchase.

They had previously collected the requisite 100,000 signatures needed to call a vote on the issue, but had withdrawn it when the government announced that it would postpone buying the jets.

But the opponents see a gleam of hope in Wednesday’s decision.

A Green Party statement claimed that it is “an open secret” that the Gripen was bottom of the list for most members of the Air Force.

“So it is conceivable that the government, which does not want to buy any fighters at the moment, chose the Gripen because it is the one with least support in parliament,” the party said.

Winners and losers

The winning manufacturer, Saab, said on its website that it was “both proud and delighted” at having been chosen.

"The Swiss type-selection confirms that Saab is a market-leader in the defence and security industry and that Gripen is a world-class fighter system that provides the best value for money,” it quoted Saab president and CEO Håkan Buskhe as saying.

It added that the programme would create a long-term partnership between the two countries “aimed at creating sustainable high tech jobs, transferring technology and generating export business”.

Saab shares ended the day 10.96 per cent up.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Rafale International Is Surprised by the Choice of the Swiss Federal Council

(Source: Rafale International; issued Nov. 30, 2011)

BERN --- The team Rafale has duly noted the choice of the Swiss Authorities regarding the acquisition of their future fighter aircraft.

The team regrets that the Swiss Federal Council - as it has officially stated - has "knowingly decided not to position Switzerland at the highest European level as regards the performance of the new fighter aircraft".

The Rafale's capacities would enable the Swiss Confederation to meet its operational requirements with a smaller number of aircraft at an equivalent or lower cost, as was demonstrated during the assessments by the Swiss Air Force.

The "Swiss-tailored" Gripen only exists on paper. Its technical development and production risk significantly increasing the financial efforts required of the Swiss Authorities to accomplish the country's fighter aircraft program.

Rafale International extends its sincere thanks the 250 Swiss companies that took part in its industrial partnership project in the 26 cantons of the Swiss Confederation.

-ends-

[ADMk2]

Rafail strikes again...

It's fans will bleat it has won another technical competition (just as they argue it "won" in South Korea) but lost the contract.

Another "sure thing" lost again.

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Sweden Gives Gripen NG Another Boost

Posted by Robert Wall at 12/1/2011 5:14 AM CST

The Swedish government always said it would support any export customer for the Gripen NG by accelerating its own procurement plans for the latest iteration of the single-engine fighter. Current plans call for procurement of the Gripen NG for Sweden starting around 2017/18.

A day after Switzerland committed to buying the aircraft, with a planned fielding in 2015, Stockholm is trying to make good on its commitment. A Swedish parliamentary committee has endorsed the idea of buying ten JAS-39E/Fs for the Swedish air force early. That effort will likely get full government endorsement next year.

The exact configuration of the Gripen NG for Switzerland remains to be sorted out. That situation is actually raising some questions.

Switzerland had indicated it would buy its Tiger replacement fighter off-the-shelf, with critics of the decision to go for Gripen saying the NG is not that. Dassault argues that "the 'Swiss-tailored' Gripen only exists on paper. Its technical development and production risk significantly increasing the financial efforts required of the Swiss Authorities to accomplish the country's fighter aircraft program."

[buglerbilly]

Omani F-16 win delivers blow for Eurofighter

By: Craig Hoyle London

1 hours ago

Source:

Oman has placed a surprise follow-on order with Lockheed Martin for a second batch of 12 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters, with the development appearing to have ended the UK's hopes of selling Eurofighter Typhoons to the nation.

Announcing the deal in a 14 December contract notification, the US Department of Defense said Muscat will acquire 10 single-seat fighters and a pair of two-seat trainers under a deal worth $600 million. These will join eight and four of the respective types already in service with the Royal Air Force of Oman.


© Lockheed Martin

In addition to assembling the aircraft at its Fort Worth site in Texas, Lockheed will also provide associated support equipment and logistics services, the DoD said. Work under the deal should conclude by November 2016, it added.

Lockheed officials named Oman as a possible repeat buyer for the F-16 during last month's Dubai air show, although the nation had previously discussed a possible Typhoon acquisition. British sources had recently suggested that a government-to-government deal could be concluded with the UK in early 2012.

[tiddles]

Nothing much wrong with the Block 50/52- F16,and what great advantage would the current Eurofighter provide at this point in time,anyhow it all boils down to just what the tactical & financial requirement of buyer is & as we have seen with the Swiss choice of the Gripen that price is important & IMO unless you want a plane as advanced as the f35 & you have time to wait for it ,well the expensive EF & Rafale dont offer enough more than the F16 or Gripen for many countries at all. The SH is a bit more advanced at this point in time but is not to everyones liking with Australia as its only export sale & not much likelyhood of another customer.
Tiddles

[buglerbilly]

Germany to Offer Fighters to Bulgaria

The deal is for eight second-hand Eurofighters

It is expected that during his visit to Germany at the end of January PM Boyko Borissov would receive an attractive offer for used Eurofighters, The Standart learnt. The first visit of Bulgaria’s premier for 2012 will be to Germany on January 17-18. He will meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel and during the private talks all bilateral issues will be discussed. During the meetings the details on the German offer for the fighters would be clarified. According to off-the- record information, the proposal includes training of Bulgarian pilots

Germany is one of the four countries which manufacture Eurofighters. This is one of the most modern military aircraft in the world. The abilities of Eurofighter were demonstrated during the air show near the city of Plovdiv in September last year. In February, 2011, Bulgaria’s defense ministry asked about the bids all manufacturers of Eurofighter for the delivery of 8 fighters. EADS consortium which manufactures Eurofigheter made an offer of 80 million euro per a brand new fighter. Later on, another manufacturer of Eurofighter, Italy, made an offer of 35 million euro for a second-hand fighter.
Panayot Angarev

[ADMk2]

Tranche 1's no doubt. Who'd want em? They'd cost more to upgrade to a standard where they could do something beyond non-wartime air policing missions than the overall acquisition cost! Why does anyone think the German's are trying to offload them? Bulgaria would be better off with second hand F-16's. At least they'd have an aircraft that could drop a laser guided bomb...

Bulgaria could probably get 12x F-16 Block 25's of a similar age and equipment fit to Indonesia's that are AMRAAM C7 and AIM-9X capable, come with Sniper XR targetting pods, JHMCS, are Link 16 capable and fitted with a modern EWSP system. They'd also be capable of using Paveway II, Maverick and JDAM/JSOW for less than $350m (going off Indonesia's price). Or they could get 8 Tranche 1 Eurofighters that can use AIM-9L, AIM-120B, offer no air to surface capability and are urgently in need of mission systems upgrades...

But gee those Eurofighters would look nice at an Airshow...

:p

[buglerbilly]

Germany Might Sell Used Eurofighters to E. Europe

By ALBRECHT MÜLLER

Published: 5 Jan 2012 12:50

BONN - In the wake of its military restructuring, Germany could sell some of its used Eurofighter jets to Eastern European countries. The Financial Times Deutschland newspaper reported on Jan. 4 that Bulgaria is interested in acquiring eight aircraft.

According to the newspaper, the topic could be raised during the visit of Bulgarian Prime Minister Bojko Borissow Ende to Berlin at the end of January.

Other Eastern European countries, such as the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia and Romania, are also looking at similar options, said the newspaper.

Earlier reports have linked Saab, with its Gripen fighter, and the U.S., with the Lockheed Martin F-16, as having made similar overtures to Eastern European nations.

As part of Berlin's overall military reduction, the future planned number of Eurofighter jets in the German Air Force has been reduced from 177 to 140. This could be achieved without selling any Typhoons as Germany still has not signed an order for 37 aircraft as part of the Eurofighter Tranche 3B deal, the final batch of aircraft earmarked for the four-nation program that also includes Italy, Spain and the U.K.

None of the nations were expected to fulfill their commitment to buy 3B aircraft even before Europe's worsening economic crisis took hold. However, there had been occasional speculation that Germany could sell some of its Tranche 1 aircraft and order the latest version of the jet instead.

A German Ministry of Defense spokesman said he did not want to comment on any such possible deals. The spokesman said the Bundeswehr is still planning for a total of 140 aircraft and there is no obligation to purchase Tranche 3B aircraft.

[buglerbilly]

Czechs deny plans to buy old German Eurofighters to replace Gripens

Brian Kenety | 05.01.2012


© GAZ WEST 2011
A Eurofighter Typhoon in flight over Abu Dhabi

The Czech Republic and several other Eastern European countries have all expressed interest in buying “almost new” Eurofighter military aircraft from Germany, Financial Times Deutschland, the local version of the UK business daily, reported on Thursday, with Berlin looking to offload eight planes, which, if new, would cost some €60 million to €80 million each (including ancillary services).

“According to FTD’s information, Bulgaria is interested in the purchase of eight Eurofighters now in the Luftwaffe [German air force]. The topic should arise during the visit of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to Berlin at the end of January,” the newspaper said. “Other Eastern European countries are interested in the nearly new aircraft. These include the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia and Romania.”

The Czech military is currently leasing 14 supersonic jet fighters, the JAS-39 Gripen made by the BAE Systems-SAAB consortium, from the Swedish government; with that contract due to expire in 2015, speculation has been mounting about whether that leasing agreement will be renewed or another type of fighter plane chosen.

The Czech Ministry of Defense has denied having negotiated with its German counterparts, the news server iDNES.cz reported. “I can completely exclude that talks have taken place, even a [informal] probing,” ministry spokesman Jan Pejšek was quoted as saying, leading the publication to speculate that Germany was floating trial balloons to tell the world its old Eurofighters were on the market.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas (Civic Democrats, ODS) has showed little enthusiasm for extending a Gripen deal, warning in June 2011 that it would be difficult to imagine renewing the contract when an investigation about alleged massive corruption relating to the original deal — to buy 24 JAS-39 fighters over several years — has yet to be concluded. That deal was dumped by the Czech parliament in 2003 in favor of the leasing option (at a cost of Kč 20 billion, one-third what it would have cost to buy the planes).

Last month, Nečas said that the country’s deteriorating economic situation would have to be taken into account when considering the possible options for patrolling the Czech skies in years to come. The European consortium that makes the Eurofighter has reportedly tried to drum up interest in its Typhoon model — a twin-engine aircraft comparable to older US-made F-16 fighter jets produced by Lockheed Martin — that are now in use by Italy.

The Eurofighters are mainly in use by the militaries of the countries that participated in the consortium: Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Austria has 15 of them in its air force (for which it reportedly paid some €1.54 billion) and they are also in use by the Royal Saudi Air Force. In total, order for more than 700 of the Typhoon aircraft have been placed.

[buglerbilly]

Qatar, Kuwait Await UAE's Move on Rafale

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Published: 9 Jan 2012 08:59

The only way Rafale is going to win is if someone decides to make a Political decision to do so...........all Technical and Commercial reasons say no way Jose................

PARIS - Qatar and Kuwait are interested in buying French Rafale fighter jets but are waiting to see whether the United Arab Emirates will make a purchase first, France's defense minister said Jan. 9.

"They are, in effect, interested but they won't know for sure until the first one jumps in," minister Gerard Longuet said, adding that he hoped the UAE, which is talks with France to buy 60 Rafales, would make a decision "within a time frame that will allow its two neighbors, which hope to be interoperable with the Emirates, to make decisions."

Industry experts have estimated that Kuwait needs 18 to 22 new fighter jets and that Qatar needs 24.

After opening talks on the purchase in 2008, the UAE said in November that the offer for Rafales from France's Dassault Aviation was uncompetitive and opened up the tender to competition.

France has raised concerns over the future of the Rafale program, which has struggled to find foreign buyers to support a project that has so far cost more than 40 billion euros ($51 billion).

Longuet warned in December that production on the multirole fighter could halt if it remains unable to sell any abroad.

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Brazil Should Make Combat Aircraft Decision by Spring

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 1/19/2012 11:53 AM CST

Brazil's defense minister, Celso Amorim, says he hopes a government decision concerning the purchase of 36 new fighter aircraft for the Brazilian air force will be taken before the first term of the year is over.

The FX-2 program was launched by President Dilma Rousseff's predecessor in 2008, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who had opted for the Rafale made by a French consortium led by Dassault Aviation, but he left the final decision up to Rousseff, who decided that in her first year of office there were greater priorities than spending 10 billion reales ($5.7 billion) on combat aircraft.

But in an interview published in Portuguese by Reuters today, Amorim says “the president is aware that this is important and I hope that a decision can be reached quickly ... because there is a lag from the time the decision is taken to the time the first aircraft is delivered.” He says there is urgency because maintenance on the current fleet of Mirage 2000s is going to become “extremely expensive” from 2013.

The three aircraft down-selected are Dassault's Rafale, Boeing's F-18 and Saab's Gripen.

Amorim says the decision will be based in priority on the offer which provides for the greatest amount of technology transfer so that Brazil can build the aircraft itself in the future.

[tiddles]

BUG ,I really like your idea of finishing the week off with a good joke. I had thought that seeing as we have a thread called Fun with You Tube ,we could have one called Fun with Brazilian & Indian procurement plans. Seriously, this comp has been right the radar for a while now & for the sake of the long suffering competitors I do hope we get an answer soon that has a firm result. Well we had a few replies logged as to who might win the Indian MMRCA so maybe we might get a few takers as to who might win this one. I am tipping Postphoned to be the winner by quite a big margin.If we do get an actual plane named I am tipping the SH mainly because I dont think it would be still in the comp [eg India] if it was not the choice.
Tiddles

[buglerbilly]

Oman Seeks BAE Systems Bid for Typhoon

Jan. 23, 2012 - 08:14AM

By ANDREW CHUTER

The government of Oman has requested that BAE Systems submit a formal bid for the supply of Typhoon fighter aircraft. The move clarifies the Middle East nation’s continuing commitment to the program following delays in completing negotiations.

A spokeswoman for the U.K.-based defense company said it expected to complete negotiations by the end of the year, with deliveries of the first aircraft taking place 36 months later.

The request for proposals involves a squadron’s worth of Tranche 3 standard aircraft — about 12 airframes — a support package and training for the Omani air force.

Last month, Oman ordered a second batch of 12 F-16 Block 50’s from Lockheed Martin in a $600 million deal

The Omanis formally stated their intention to purchase the Eurofighter Typhoon in early 2010, and company executives said at the time that the deal could be ready for signing within months.

In a statement, BAE said it welcomed the release of the request for proposals, adding that the news underpins its long-standing defense and security relationship with the sultanate as a major equipment supplier.

The most recent major equipment sale was signed in 2007 to deliver three corvettes to the Omani navy in a deal valued at 400 million pounds.

The warships remain undelivered for technical reasons.

The first of the Khareef-class vessels should have been handed over in 2010 but have been delayed following the discovery of technical problems during sea trials.

The spokeswoman denied that the signing of the fighter deal between the two sides is dependent on the agreement of a get-well package for three corvettes.

The spokeswoman said the first of the corvettes is now scheduled to be handed over at the end of the second quarter.

The Omanis’ commitment to Typhoon follows recent competition losses for the fighter in Japan and Switzerland.

A decision by India on whether to select the Eurofighter aircraft or its French rival, Dassault Rafale, is imminent.

Earlier this month, BAE announced that talks with the Middle East’s first Typhoon customer, Saudi Arabia, over amendments to a deal to supply 72 fighters, were dragging on and would likely affect its 2011 earnings.

The original deal called for the first 24 aircraft to be delivered from the BAE production line in the U.K., with subsequent assembly in Saudi Arabia.

BAE and the Saudis announced a change of plan last February over where the final 42 aircraft would be built but are still haggling over the details.

Typhoon is a four-nation program involving the Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. So far, it has exported the aircraft to Austria and Saudi Arabia

[buglerbilly]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Gripen: You Win Some, You (May) Lose Some

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 1/27/2012 2:49 AM CST

Whilst a debate rages in Switzerland over an anonymous letter containing detailed accusations of irregularities in the selection process of the Gripen, Sweden last week quietly approved a request from Hungary to extend the lease of 14 Gripen fighter jets for another 10 years, to 2026.

Hungarian defense minister Csaba Hende said earlier this month that there was no realistic alternative solution to the lease which costs Hungary 30 billion forints ($130 million) a year while training costs another 2 billion forints ($8.7 million) a year, according to the Budapest Business Journal.

The Hungarian Air Force is leasing 14 ex-Swedish Air Force aircraft, including two two-seaters. The lease agreement was signed in February 2003 and Hungary became the first NATO member state to operate the Gripen when it received the first five aircraft in March 2006. Final deliveries took place in December 2007.

Meanwhile a seven-member parliamentary commission has been set up in Switzerland to investigate accusations made in an anonymous letter -- signed by a mysterious group calling itself “group for a credible and upright army” – which contains grave accusations that the results of the evaluations of the aircraft in Switzerland's fighter aircraft competition were “manipulated” given that it was the aircraft that scored least well in the evaluation process that won the competition.

If you scroll through Ares blogs to November 30, 2011 and thereabouts you'll find a number of posts about the Swiss competition and the Gripen win.

The accusations are detailed: “The facts related, the precisions and details given are sufficiently specific that they obviously have not just been dreamt up,” says Yvan Perrin, one of the members of the commission, in an interview published by 24heures.ch that you can read in French here.

Those who have read the letter say the authors documented their charges extremely and are therefore either close to the army or, at least, have detailed knowledge of the procurement. Perrin says that it is in everybody's interest to fully investigate these accusations. “That way if everything was done according to the rules then all will be totally transparent if the issue has to go to public referendum and if there have been failures we have to take the consequent decisions, on the one hand vis-à-vis the institutions – the army, the Confederation – and on the other vis-à-vis the other competitors,” he says.

Perrin says that if “it should appear that obvious liberties were taken in the evaluations ... I cannot imagine dropping the Gripen, but rather starting the entire evaluation process again from scratch.”


The Gripen flying over Sion in Switzerland. Photo credit: Keystone.

[ADMk2]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Brazil Should Make Combat Aircraft Decision by Spring

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 1/19/2012 11:53 AM CST

Brazil's defense minister, Celso Amorim, says he hopes a government decision concerning the purchase of 36 new fighter aircraft for the Brazilian air force will be taken before the first term of the year is over.

The FX-2 program was launched by President Dilma Rousseff's predecessor in 2008, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who had opted for the Rafale made by a French consortium led by Dassault Aviation, but he left the final decision up to Rousseff, who decided that in her first year of office there were greater priorities than spending 10 billion reales ($5.7 billion) on combat aircraft.

But in an interview published in Portuguese by Reuters today, Amorim says “the president is aware that this is important and I hope that a decision can be reached quickly ... because there is a lag from the time the decision is taken to the time the first aircraft is delivered.” He says there is urgency because maintenance on the current fleet of Mirage 2000s is going to become “extremely expensive” from 2013.

The three aircraft down-selected are Dassault's Rafale, Boeing's F-18 and Saab's Gripen.

Amorim says the decision will be based in priority on the offer which provides for the greatest amount of technology transfer so that Brazil can build the aircraft itself in the future.

They'll make a decision alright, to delay the whole thing again, whilst still pretending they are a world superpower...

I actually think Brazil and India are in a competition to see who can take longest to choose a new fighter aircraft. India are definitely ahead on points at the moment, but only because they actually have the cash to buy a fighter, it's "off-field" issues that bedevil them (ie: how they can "curry" the most favour...)

[ADMk2]

Ares

A Defense Technology Blog

Gripen: You Win Some, You (May) Lose Some

Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 1/27/2012 2:49 AM CST

Whilst a debate rages in Switzerland over an anonymous letter containing detailed accusations of irregularities in the selection process of the Gripen, Sweden last week quietly approved a request from Hungary to extend the lease of 14 Gripen fighter jets for another 10 years, to 2026.

Hungarian defense minister Csaba Hende said earlier this month that there was no realistic alternative solution to the lease which costs Hungary 30 billion forints ($130 million) a year while training costs another 2 billion forints ($8.7 million) a year, according to the Budapest Business Journal.

The Hungarian Air Force is leasing 14 ex-Swedish Air Force aircraft, including two two-seaters. The lease agreement was signed in February 2003 and Hungary became the first NATO member state to operate the Gripen when it received the first five aircraft in March 2006. Final deliveries took place in December 2007.

Meanwhile a seven-member parliamentary commission has been set up in Switzerland to investigate accusations made in an anonymous letter -- signed by a mysterious group calling itself “group for a credible and upright army” – which contains grave accusations that the results of the evaluations of the aircraft in Switzerland's fighter aircraft competition were “manipulated” given that it was the aircraft that scored least well in the evaluation process that won the competition.

If you scroll through Ares blogs to November 30, 2011 and thereabouts you'll find a number of posts about the Swiss competition and the Gripen win.

The accusations are detailed: “The facts related, the precisions and details given are sufficiently specific that they obviously have not just been dreamt up,” says Yvan Perrin, one of the members of the commission, in an interview published by 24heures.ch that you can read in French here.

Those who have read the letter say the authors documented their charges extremely and are therefore either close to the army or, at least, have detailed knowledge of the procurement. Perrin says that it is in everybody's interest to fully investigate these accusations. “That way if everything was done according to the rules then all will be totally transparent if the issue has to go to public referendum and if there have been failures we have to take the consequent decisions, on the one hand vis-à-vis the institutions – the army, the Confederation – and on the other vis-à-vis the other competitors,” he says.

Perrin says that if “it should appear that obvious liberties were taken in the evaluations ... I cannot imagine dropping the Gripen, but rather starting the entire evaluation process again from scratch.”


The Gripen flying over Sion in Switzerland. Photo credit: Keystone.

Unsigned? I thought it was signed by Dassault but then crossed it's name out? I mean, they already leaked that they "won" the technical evalution (again...) just like they did in South Korea, Morocco and so on...

[tiddles]

Unsigned? I thought it was signed by Dassault but then crossed it's name out? I mean, they already leaked that they "won" the technical evalution (again...) just like they did in South Korea, Morocco and so on...
It has been uncanny that Dassault always seem to win the evaluation [maybe] but not the competition . In this case the Swiss had basically said that Gripen was at the price they can afford and would be good enough for their requirements, not that it was the mast potent bird available. It all boils down to what any countries real requirements are & how much loot they have got..
With regard to manipulated results etc ,well it was predictable, the Gripen deals have been in trouble in Sth. Africa & either Czech Rep. or Hungary with regard to irregularities
in the process ,maybe even a bit of money changed hands,big deal, it is the only to get into the game in some countries, the loosers probably did not offer enough. This again shows the problems with competitions although I am actually not against competition in many cases. The performance of modern fighters should be well enough known for countries to work out what they need without a comp, just send a hard bargainer to deal with the people you favour.. Australia saved years of procrastination with the F35 & SH , although these selections have their critics their own solutions are in some cases impractical [eg F22 lobby]
Tiddles

[tiddles]

Dassault have jumped in fairly quickly here, my what a surprise, it is almost as though they started preparing for this immediately the comp. result came out, but then SAAB took a long time to give up in India, although ,in fact, I am not sure if they actually have given up.Following this for the next couple of years could be entertaining.
Tiddles
French jet firm makes Swiss new offer: report
French aircraft maker Dassault has made a new offer to Switzerland for its Rafale fighter jets after the government decided in November to buy Sweden's Gripen planes instead, a report said Sunday.

Dassault has sent a letter to parliament -- which has yet to approve the November decision -- offering 18 Rafale planes for 2.7 billion Swiss francs (2.24 billion euros, 2.96 billion dollars), reported Le Matin Dimanche, which said it had seen the letter.

In November, Dassault lost out on a bid to replace Switzerland's ageing F5 fighter fleet when the Federal Council opted instead to buy 22 Saab Gripen fighter planes for an estimated 3.1 billion francs.

But parliament still has to approve the decision.

"Yes, I have received this letter," Hans Hess of the parliament's security commission told the newspaper.

Hess gave no further details but said it would be discussed by the upper house group on February 13.

Defence Minister Ueli Maurer meanwhile told the Sonntags Zeitung he was not aware of the offer.

The government considered Rafales, Gripens and Eurofighters produced by the EADS consortium.

In making its decision it argued that Gripen jets met airforce needs without compromising the budgets of other military branches.

Dassault was not immediately available for comment on Sunday.

[buglerbilly]

Dassault is pissing up a rope IF he seriously thinks the Swiss are going to buy the Rafale..................a poor joke this!

[tiddles]

SAAB seem to be playing it cool at the moment ,why not ,they have the front running.
Tiddles
Saab Says Swiss Gripen Jet Fighter Decision May Take All Year
Saab AB (SAABB), which won a tentative Gripen jet fighter order with Switzerland, said final negotiations may take all year and that it’s “natural” that rival Dassault Aviation SA (AM) is still fighting for a deal.
“It’s not surprising they haven’t given up,” Erik Magni, a Saab (SAS)spokesman, said today by phone. It’s “part of the game” that Dassault is still competing, he said.
Saab and Switzerland are holding negotiations that probably will “take up all of 2012,” Magni said, adding the country’s parliament has yet to make a decision and that the nation may hold a referendum on the issue.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...-all-year.html

[ADMk2]

Dassault wins bid for IAF's 126 fighter jets

French company Dassault Rafale today bagged India's biggest-ever contract for supplying 126 combat aircraft for the air force, edging out European competitor EADS in the multi-billion dollar deal.

The French firm was declared as the lowest bidder, according to which it will get the contract under India's defence procurement procedure, sources said.

The French firm Dassault Rafale has emerged as the L-1 [lowest bidder] and cheaper than its european rival EADS [maker of Eurofighter] in the tender and will be offered to supply the aircraft to the IAF," the source said.
They said the representatives of Dassault here were informed about the development in the morning and further negotiations on price will be held with them in the next 10-15 days.

The contract will be signed only in the next fiscal.

According to the Request for Proposal (RFP), the winner of the contract will have to supply 18 of the 126 aircraft to the IAF in 36 months from its facilities and the remaining would be produced at HAL facilities in Bangalore.

Six companies including American F-16 and F-18, Russian MiG 35, Swedish Saab Gripen alongwith Eurofighter and Dassault Rafale were in the race in the beginning.

But in April last year, the Defence Ministry shortlisted Dassault and EADS, evicting the American, Russian and Swedish bids.

The process was started with the issuing of a global tender in 2007 after which all the six contenders were subjected to extensive field evaluation trails by the Indian Air Force at several locations across the globe.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/dassault-wins-bid-for-iafs-126-fighter-jets/156660/on

[buglerbilly]

No jet fighter deal before end March - A.K. Antony

NEW DELHI | Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:12pm IST

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will not sign a multi-billion dollar contract to buy European fighter jets before the fiscal year ends in March, the defence minister said on Tuesday, about a deal to revamp ageing weapons in line with the country's rising global influence.

"Not this financial year," Defence Minister A.K. Antony told Reuters in reply to a question about when the deal that has been in the works since 2007 would be signed.

However, India will "soon" announce the lowest bidder for the tender for 126 jets worth up to $15 billion, two government sources with knowledge of the deal told Reuters.

One of the sources said France's Rafale jet was the likely winner, adding that the defence ministry was now considering buying another 80 or so jets and could invite bidders excluded from the current process to take part.

Already Asia's third-largest economy and growing fast, India has emerged as the world's leading importer of weapons as it jostles with China for influence and reach on the world stage.

Dassault's (AVMD.PA) Rafale is competing with the Typhoon fighter made by four-nation consortium Eurofighter in what is currently one of the largest global weapons tenders.

"It is a long process. The file has not come to my table," Antony said, adding that the finance ministry and a cabinet panel headed by the prime minister have to look at the agreement after he signs off.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is built by the German and Spanish branches of EADS (EAD.PA), Britain's BAE Systems (BAES.L) and Italy's Finmeccanica (SIFI.MI). Dassault is French.

American, Russian and Swedish bids were rejected in April.

The U.S. company Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) has kept alive hopes of selling its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to India.

One defence ministry source with knowledge of the negotiations said the life-time cost of the tender including training and maintenance may reach $15 billion.

Previous estimates put the cost around $11 billion.

The defence ministry source said each Rafale was $4 million to $5 million cheaper than its rival and the plane was preferred by the Air Force.

"Unit-wise, the French plane is much cheaper than the Eurofighter. Moreover, the Indian Airforce, which is well-equipped with French fighters, is favouring the French fighter," said the source, who asked not be named.

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Nigam Prusty; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Malini Menon and Ed Lane)

[buglerbilly]

I see the Muppets at Aviation Week have also jumped on this "Dassault has got it" circus that is going on.............NOT that Dassault would disinform now would it?

[jack412]

After India got rid of the 4 cheaper planes, the Rafale is now the cheapest and ticks one box
I think this quote from the Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal P V Naik sums it up well, its lucky that combat radars, weapons and systems weren't on the list :dunno

http://www.indiastrategic.in/topstories1068.htm
Asked if the Eurofighter and Rafale were superior in technologies to the other four contenders – Boeing F/A 18 IN Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F 16 IN, Swedish Gripen and Russian Mig 29 –

the Air Chief said: “In all fairness, all the six aircraft in the competition were good, and more or less close to one another in performance. But some of them had to be out, and some had to be in, and that’s it. Let’s say that the two European finalists were the most-compliant in the 600-plus parameters that the IAF selection team had set.”

The Air Chief observed that admittedly, the US had the best of the combat radars, weapons and systems But then, each of the six contenders had given in writing that they would match the IAF requirements, including those for systems to be sourced from the US.

[Milne Bay]

[QUOTE=buglerbilly;26745]No jet fighter deal before end March - A.K. Antony

NEW DELHI | Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:12pm IST

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -
[B][I]One of the sources said France's Rafale jet was the likely winner, adding that the defence ministry was now considering buying another 80 or so jets and could invite bidders excluded from the current process to take part.

What the .....!
The choice is out of Rafale and Typhoon, ...........but we would like the losing bidders to re-submit for a different order????
How do the various aircraft manufacturers continue to take the Indians seriously.
What a joke!

[Chunder]

From my lurkings - It is alleged that the Indians are quite wary of another fraudulent procurement program rife with corruption. I.E reading between the lines, they are simply going through the motions of asking for further tenders...

[buglerbilly]

Fighter deals intensify global aerial arms race

Fri Feb 3, 2012 5:04pm EST

* Lockheed buoyed by Japan, Dassault by India

* Boeing, partners in Eurofighter also looking for wins

* Opportunities eyed elsewhere in Asia, Middle East

* Hunger for deals comes as Western defense budgets trimmed

By Rhys Jones and Tim Hepher

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Big decisions on warplane purchases by Japan and India have intensified competition in the multi-billion-dollar global market, with Western defense firms scrambling for orders in Asia and the Middle East as their home-country budgets shrivel.

Growing international unease over China's military build-up and ongoing tensions between Iran and Western allies in the Gulf, coupled with the deep pockets of nations basking in high commodity prices, have sparked a surge of interest in air power.

"There is a strong emphasis on... combat aircraft and things that belong to them: missiles, bombs, support aircraft, airborne early warning systems, air tankers and that kind of stuff," said Siemon Wezeman, senior researcher on arms transfers at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon's biggest arms contractor, and France's Dassault Aviation are the major winners in a pair of widely watched procurement decisions in the past month, dealing a blow to competitors such as the four-nation Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing Co's F/A-18 Super Hornet, defense industry experts say.

Lockheed was buoyed by Japan's $7 billion decision to buy 42 F-35 stealth fighter jets in December, providing a shot in the arm for a project under fire over costs and struggling to hold together a coalition of foreign partners.

Japan's selection means South Korea is very likely to follow suit, analysts said. Seoul last week invited Lockheed, Eurofighter and Boeing to bid in a $7 billion contest for what is expected to be an order for 60 advanced fighter jets.

Companies are also eyeing opportunities in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

India rescued French hopes of an elusive first export deal for its front-line jet by agreeing this week to enter exclusive negotiations to buy 126 Dassault-built Rafales after narrowing the field to an all-European contest with Typhoon.

The Rafale has lost a series of contests to U.S. competition and has held so far fruitless talks with Brazil and UAE.

"A victory in India would bring the Rafale right back into the running. Whether this guarantees contracts elsewhere is less certain, but if it didn't win it was guaranteed not to get anything else," said Francis Tusa, editor of Defence Analysis.

With most NATO nations cutting back on defense procurement projects, the imminent award of fighter jet contracts comes at a good time for military contractors desperate for deals.

Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group consultancy projects $178 billion in worldwide fighter deliveries through 2021.

Critics say such sales can provoke rather than prevent instability.

Western defence firms saw their market values tumble last year after the impact of spending cuts started to filter through.

Britain's BAE Systems, a partner in the Typhoon alongside EADS and Finmeccanica, has seen its market value drop by almost a fifth in the last two years.

CHINA BUILD-UP

China's military build-up, illustrated by the maiden flight of its J-20 stealth fighter a year ago, is fueling arms sales across Asia for fighter jets.

China has denied its acquisition of stealth should be viewed as a threat. Across the region, however, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia are among those seeking to expand their capabilities.

China's expansion may be the reason India is now considering another purchase of over 80 jets in a move that could benefit the F-35, said U.S.-based defense analyst Loren Thompson.

"They'll have to buy something else because a Rafale will not be able to cope with Chinese fighters 20 years from now."

Lockheed's F-35 fighter is aggressively bidding for additional overseas sales to offset slower production at home. It hopes to finalize a 19-jet deal with Israel soon, and to secure an agreement with Singapore for the stealthy F-35.

Mindful of India's long procurement process and its decision to cancel past orders for air tankers and helicopters, French officials have taken pains to say the Rafale deal is not final.

But with the Rafale facing a production halt in 2021 without exports, India's decision has galvanized the world's third largest arms exporter and raised its profile in other campaigns.

France's La Tribune newspaper reported on Friday that the United Arab Emirates had revived an on-off deal to buy 60 Rafales.

Dassault was expected to seal the $10 billion deal last year but faced a rare public rebuke from Abu Dhabi for making "unworkable" proposals, throwing a lifeline to Eurofighter and Boeing, both of whom have been talking to the UAE military.

Gulf tensions are running high due to international concerns about Iran's nuclear activities. Those concerns helped spur along a massive sale of Boeing F-15s to Saudi Arabia at the end of 2011, as well as a big missile defense sale to UAE.

Now, the region may hold the key for India's losing bidders.

"The India deal is a major win for France, and a major loss for the UK. This leaves Oman and UAE as the largest potential markets for the Eurofighter, both of which are significantly smaller than India and less certain to move forward," said Endre Lunde, a consultant at Aerospace & Defence Consulting.

BAE Systems is expected to supply Oman with 12 Typhoons. Defence sources say it is in preliminary talks to sell a further 48 to Saudi Arabia. BAE and Eurofighter declined comment.

Abu Dhabi's decision alone has hefty commercial stakes.

French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet has suggested the UAE's decision could create a domino effect of sales in Qatar and Kuwait, both of which are eager to renew aerial firepower.

[buglerbilly]

This is, in my opinion, a very good article on the Indian Fighter contest and ALL of its ramifications...............makes more sense than the diatribe and quatsch sprach of so-called Aviation "specialists" in the magazine industry.............

Turbulence ahead with Indian jet deal

The Indians, stormed “senior government sources,” had gone for the “Asda option instead of Waitrose”.



By Andrew Gilligan

9:30PM GMT 04 Feb 2012

By preferring the French Rafale jet rather than the British-built Typhoon, they rejected, according to the Prime Minister, a “superb aircraft with far better capabilities”.

How dare they, asked MPs, snub Britain, which had given them £1.2 billion in aid? One newspaper even blamed the decision on the Gandhi family.

The truth about Britain’s “failure” to land the £6.3 billion Indian military jet deal — and the thousands of jobs it will sustain - is different. The game is not yet over.

But if we do lose, it will have nothing to do with the Gandhis, or the aid — which, as we report today, the Indians simply do not care about either way. It will be because of our own mistakes.

Senior Indian figures and military aviation experts have told The Sunday Telegraph that British defence cuts played a key part in India’s decision to prefer France for the huge 126-warplane contract. But they said the deal could still be rescued for the UK.

“For David Cameron to say that Typhoon has far better capabilities is embarrassing, and I say that as a strong supporter of the aircraft,” said Jon Lake, defence editor at Arabian Aerospace magazine, and an expert in Asian procurement.

“It would have been true to say that it has better potential than the Rafale, but thanks to the cheeseparing of our Treasury, and the other Typhoon partner nations’ treasuries, that potential has not been realised yet.”

Key to the Indian decision, said one senior defence source in Delhi, was the country’s wish for a radar and set of weapons which already exist on Rafale — but which are not currently present on Typhoon.

The French jet can launch a wide suite of smart weapons including Scalp, an air-launched cruise missile, Exocet, an anti-ship missile, and AASM, a precision-guided bomb with extended “stand-off” capability allowing it to be dropped from further away, reducing the risk to the pilot from anti-aircraft fire.

It also has an advanced reconnaissance pod and the latest electronic scanned array radar. This combination of capabilities proved highly effective in the recent war over Libya.

Typhoon currently has none of these things. The RAF badly wants the aircraft to have Scalp's British equivalent Storm Shadow — along with the anti-tank Brimstone missile, a reconnaissance pod, and the radar.

These capabilities, apart from the radar, are currently available on the RAF’s Tornado jets and were heavily used by the British in Libya. But their arrival on Typhoon has been delayed by defence cuts.

“For the Indians it’s all about credibility,” said Mr Lake. “If they believe what the Typhoon consortium told them, then by 2018 Typhoon will do everything that Rafale does now. But they clearly don’t believe it, and I don’t blame them, given the programme’s history of delays and cost overruns.

“At the moment, Typhoon can drop a laser-guided bomb, and that’s it. The combination of Typhoon and Tornado was quite effective in Libya. But on its own, Typhoon was less versatile than the Rafale.”

Tim Ripley, of Jane’s Defence Weekly, said: “The RAF are desperate for further weapons on the Typhoon but it is something the Treasury have been trying to avoid doing. This is a crucial test of the Government’s export rhetoric. The Indians ask why they should buy this kit for their own aircraft if we won’t put it on ours.”

Typhoon is built by a four-nation consortium of Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain. The Indian marketing campaign was led by the Germans, a decision which Mr Lake described as “clearly mad” given India’s historic ties with Britain.

The culture and structure of the Indian Air Force is still heavily influenced by its British origins, with identical ranks and near-identical Air Force blue uniforms.

“The Typhoons they sent to India [for evaluation] were German, flown by German aircrew, but the Germans have a completely different culture,” said Mr Lake.

“It was mindblowingly inept.”

The British Typhoon contractor BAE was later brought in to partner the bid in apparent acknowledgement of the mistake.

Despite these failures, both Indian and British defence sources say that the contract could still be rescued for Typhoon.

A spokesman for BAE said: “The assessment made last week was basically a view from the pricing committee. There’s an awful long way to go before there’s a signed contract. It is far from a done deal.”

Though Typhoon is currently less well armed than Rafale, it is probably the more capable aircraft.

Experts say it can deliver a higher kill-loss ratio in air-to-air combat than the French jet.

“If they take the Rafale, the Indians will have to continue to rely on their Sukhoi 30s [fighters] for air dominance,” said Mr Lake.

“That’s all right if you are fighting Pakistan. But if you are fighting China, who also have Su-30s, you are not going to win.”

Commercially, Rafale has a track record of “winning” at this stage of a competition, then being overhauled in the final stretch.

The aircraft was selected as preferred bidder for a 60-jet order by the United Arab Emirates, but was then dropped as “uncompetitive and unworkable in commercial terms” by the customer, though there were reports last week that it might be back in the running.

Typhoon is now again in contention for the UAE business. Rafale was preferred by the Swiss air force, but the Swiss government chose the rival Gripen fighter instead. A supposed order with Brazil has also failed so far to materialise.

The Rafale has been assessed by the Indians as cheaper than the Typhoon.

The prices offered by the two bidders are secret. But official figures for Britain’s spending on the Typhoon, compared with France’s spending on the Rafale, appear to suggest that the British jet is slightly cheaper, though the science is very imprecise and cost figures for the same aircraft can vary by up to 40% depending on what is included.

Mr Lake said: “I would suspect when the Indians probe hard into the French price they will find that it is not satisfactory and hasn’t included things.”

Yet even if the Typhoon does, in the end, come through, it will not be the British jobs bonanza that some reports have claimed.

Because the aircraft is a four-nation joint effort, Britain would only have a 37 per cent share of the deal. And perhaps the most important part of the bargain for the Indians is that they want more than half — and perhaps up to four-fifths — of the aircraft to be manufactured in India.

Even on the Indian-made jets, substaintial components would still be British - but we could end up with less than a fifth of the actual work.

In other words, Britain may end up with less than 10 per cent of the production work on the deal.

It is still a good bargain, though, according to Tim Ripley.

“The real value is not in the assembly of the planes,” he says. “It is being involved in their future support and development over the next 40 years, it is keeping the production line going, and it is being embedded with one of the world’s major economic players.

“It is the life-support system for the British military aerospace industry. That is why it is so important that we get this right.”

[tiddles]

Interesting article ,Jon Lake has been prolific supporter [and sometimes critic] of the EF for many years with his articles in Magazines .He has his critics but at least IMO he has tried to be a bit fair over the years when comparing the EF with Rafale.The EF was overshadowed by the French Rafale in Libya but the Brits at this point in time really dont need the EF to have much of an A2G capability because they have the Tornado which can do all the A2G required by them .Unfortunately for the EF, the IAF seem to want a plane that has proven capabilities and weapon integration & why not. The idea that the EF has more potential or is a better A2A bird than the Rafale IMO has little in the way of legs. The Rafale does need a HMS so it can shoot its Mica off boresight,in fact I thought that the lack of a HMS might just about kill its chances in this comp. I suspect that once the French get down to the nitty gritty of detail to get this deal signed they will find some way to stuff it up .There is still some chance for EF but of course if the French stuff things up as I suspect then SH might loom again with its fully intedgrated weapons suite HMS etc etc.
Tiddles

[ADMk2]

Interesting article ,Jon Lake has been prolific supporter [and sometimes critic] of the EF for many years with his articles in Magazines .He has his critics but at least IMO he has tried to be a bit fair over the years when comparing the EF with Rafale.The EF was overshadowed by the French Rafale in Libya but the Brits at this point in time really dont need the EF to have much of an A2G capability because they have the Tornado which can do all the A2G required by them .Unfortunately for the EF, the IAF seem to want a plane that has proven capabilities and weapon integration & why not. The idea that the EF has more potential or is a better A2A bird than the Rafale IMO has little in the way of legs. The Rafale does need a HMS so it can shoot its Mica off boresight,in fact I thought that the lack of a HMS might just about kill its chances in this comp. I suspect that once the French get down to the nitty gritty of detail to get this deal signed they will find some way to stuff it up .There is still some chance for EF but of course if the French stuff things up as I suspect then SH might loom again with its fully intedgrated weapons suite HMS etc etc.
Tiddles

Actually the Typhoon is a much better A2A fighter than the Rafale. It has better airframe performance, better radar, better weapons, similar data-linking capability, similarly capable EW, and unlike the Rafale, has an integrated HMS and an operational IRST.

The Rafale doesn't have an operational AESA radar. It has a PESA radar, with a vastly smaller radar aperture size than the Typhoon and is inferior to the current M-Scan radar. That inferiority is likely to continue in future years as an AESA aperture upgrade is funded for the Typhoon.

In terms of weapons, it's current AMRAAM / IRIS-T / ASRAAM combos are decisively superior to it's MICA-IR/ER combo. The inadequacy of the radar guided MICA-ER is recognised by the French by their selecting of the Meteor BVR missile as it's radar guided missile over the longer term and as Typhoon will have the same weapon, the Rafale won't have any advantage there either.

It's the A2G arena that lets the Typhoon down due to sustained under-investment. None of it's operators required it to be a truly multi-role fighter and still don't as RAF, Italian Air Force, Spain and Luftwafe all have A2G capable aircraft (Tornado and F/A-18A/B +) that have served them well and will continue to do so for many years yet.

For India however, they are looking for a multi-role aircraft. Though I don't believe the Rafale is the multi-role aircraft that the Super Hornet is, it is much better in that role than the Typhoon.

[tiddles]

I agree that the A2A missile combos for the EF are a better mix than Mica but India already use Mica & [I think] signed a contract to buy many more not long ago so the Rafale works OK for India in regard to A2A missiles,especially in regard to commonality. Better airframe on the EF,well I havent really see any real proof [arguments abound on other Forums] of this anywhere although the EF certainly has more available power [not far short of the sluggish SH] however the Rafale has enough in most circumstances.Radars, at the moment the EF would appear to have a real advantage but the Rafale will have AESA much sooner than EF and are working hard in that direction. It will have however less than 1000 nodules and the EF ,well if they cant reverse this decision the proposed AESA [with over 1000 nodules ] might never arrive and the Indians would have been aware of that .Anyhow despite what I have written I think that there is stuff all difference in what both planes can/could offer, but aside from price it seems to have boiled down to what can be offered ,not what could.And also the Rafale will look superior at Airshows due to its great looks. If they really wanted a capable twin engined they should have gone for the SH, maybe they werent impressed with its lack of grunt and wing that has not been a complete success for a new design .
Tiddles

[tiddles]

Here is another view on why EF & US failed to get the prize in India. Its just an opinion,not neccessarily all fact & I suppose we can make whatever we want of it
Tiddles
From Defence Aerospace




The Real Reasons for Rafale’s Indian Victory

(Source: defense-aerospace.com; published Feb. 1, 2012)


By Giovanni de Briganti



PARIS --- While many observers cite technology transfer, prices and performance as being major factors in India’s selection of the Rafale as its next-generation fighter, reality is very different even if these factors obviously did play a significant role.

In the same way that it is true that Rafale lost several competitions through no fault of its own, it must be recognized that its victory in India was also won, to a great extent, through no fault of its own. The real reason for its victory is political, and the long memory of Indian politicians was a major contributing factor.

This is not to say, however, that Rafale’s own impressive qualities had nothing to do with its selection. The Indian Air Force, which was extensively briefed by the French air force in the autumn, was particularly impressed by its operational performance during the Libyan bombing campaign and in Afghanistan. Rafale also has a naval variant which could be of future interest to India, given its plans to buy and build aircraft carriers, while the recent decision to upgrade India’s Mirage 2000H fighters will simplify the air force’s logistics chain, as these will share with Rafale many weapons and other equipment.

The Indian Air Force also is a satisfied user of long standing of French fighters, going back to the Dassault Ouragan in the 1950s. It was also particularly appreciative of the performance of its Mirages during the 1999 Kargil campaign against Pakistan, and of the support it then obtained from France. During that campaign, India obtained French clearance – and possibly more - to urgently adapt Israeli and Russian-supplied laser-guided bombs to the Mirages, which were thus able to successfully engage high-altitude targets that Indian MiG-23s and MiG-27s had been unable to reach.

Rafale was preferred because of lower costs, and the Indian air force's familiarity with French warplanes such as the Mirage, Bloomberg reported Feb. 1 quoting an Indian source who asked not be named. "Unit-wise, the French plane is much cheaper than the Eurofighter. Moreover, the Indian air force, which is well equipped with French fighters, is favouring the French," the source said.

To Indian officials, France’s steadfastness as a military ally contrasted strongly with that of the United States, which stopped F-16 deliveries to Pakistan (but kept the money) when it found it expedient to do so, and slowed or vetoed delivery of components for Light Combat Aircraft that India was developing. And, of course, the 1998 arms embargo, decreed by the US after India’s nuclear test in May of that year, left a very bad taste in Indian mouths. France, on the contrary, was the only Western nation not to impose sanctions on that occasion.

That, Indian sources say, was New Delhi’s real reason for eliminating Boeing and Lockheed Martin from the fighter competition; India has resolved, these sources say, to buy only second-line equipment from the U.S., such as transport (C-17, C-130J) or maritime patrol aircraft (P-8I). Vital weapons such as missiles and fighters, when they cannot be locally produced, will remain the preserve of France and Russia.

Political considerations were also a significant factor playing against Rafale’s final competitor, the Eurofighter Typhoon. As this aircraft is produced by a consortium of four nations, each with different foreign policies and different attitudes and tolerances to arms exports, Indian officials were a bit nervous about their ultimate reliability as a single supplier.

Germany is a long-standing Indian aviation partner, and a respected role model for Indian politicians, many of whom were educated there. German companies – essentially the former Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm, now part of EADS - helped Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. develop both the LCA and the Advanced Light Helicopter, now called Dhruv. These links were the reason the Eurofighter bid was led by Germany’s Cassidian, and not BAE Systems, the former colonial power. But Germany had dithered over technology transfer for LCA, soft-pedaled on ALH tech transfer when German pacifists raised their eyebrows, and coughed when India almost went to war with Pakistan over Kargil and Kashmir, so in the final analysis it could not be considered a reliable supplier of major weapons.

Italy has never sold a major weapon to India, and so could bring neither influence nor reputation to support Eurofighter, while the third partner, Spain, is totally absent from the Indian military landscape.

This left BAE Systems as the best-known Eurofighter partner in India, and so by default as its ultimate public face. BAE in 2003 sold £1.5 billion’s worth of Hawk jet trainers to India, with a follow-on, £500 million order in 2010. However, its previous major sale to India was the Jaguar light attack aircraft in the 1970s. In fact, this aircraft was jointly developed by Britain and France on a 50/50 basis, and while it was license-produced by HAL it was never really successful as a fighter. Furthermore, France could claim as much benefit from its Indian career as BAE.

Taken together, the Eurofighter partner nations posed an even thornier problem: in case of war, German law prohibits deliveries of weapons and spares, Italian law and public opinions would demand an embargo, while Spanish legislation is murky. What would happen, Indian politicians must have wondered, if after buying the Eurofighter they went to war? Would spares and weapons be forthcoming, or would they be embargoed? The political risk was obviously too big to take.

Weapons also played a significant role in persuading India to opt for Rafale: not only is its weapons range mostly French-made, and thus not subject to a third-party embargo, but so are all of its sensors. Eurofighter, whose air-to-air missiles include the US-made AIM-120 Amraam and the German-led IRIS-T, and whose primary air-to-ground weapon is the US-made Paveway, was obviously at a competitive disadvantage in this respect.

Furthermore, the Rafale is nuclear-capable and will replace the Mirage 2000N in French service as the carrier of the newly-upgraded ASMP/A nuclear stand-off missile; it is also capable of firing the AM-39 Exocet missile, giving it an anti-ship capability that its competitors do not have. India is also interested in fitting its BrahMos supersonic missile to a wide range of its combat aircraft, and Rafale could apparently carry it.

Given that India had sworn to buy the cheapest compliant competitor, it would have been unable to justify picking the Rafale had this not been offered at the lower price. While official figures have not been released, and indeed may never be, initial reports from New Delhi claim that Rafale was offered at a unit price of $4-$5 million less than Eurofighter, which is a surprisingly large advantage given the French aircraft’s reputation of being high-priced.

The French offer also featured substantially lower costs of ownership, according to the same reports, thanks to lower fuel consumption and simpler maintenance requirements.

If true, these figures imply the French offer undercut Eurofighter by over $600 million, which is a large enough difference for one French insider to wonder whether Dassault Aviation will ever make any money on the contract.

But, even if it doesn’t, the Indian contract gives Rafale instant legitimacy, not only because of the thoroughness and transparency of the bidding process, but also because India is the only country to have fought four and a half major wars since 1948, and so knows something about air combat.

For Dassault, the Rafale program will now remain active, with a stabilized production line, for decades to come, and the company will have that much more time to find additional customers. Keeping its production line and supply chain humming at an economically-viable rate are sufficiently valuable achievements to push immediate profits into the sidelines. Supporting 126 – and possibly 206, if India buys an optional second batch – combat aircraft, and providing spares, fixes and upgrades over the next 40 years, will generate gigantic profits, and this more than justified lowering Dassault’s notoriously high profit margins.

In fact, as one industry official noted, "this is France's answer to 'Al Yamamah', but with twice as many aircraft," drawing a parallel with the UK's sale of Tornado fighters and related services to Saudi Arabia, which was instrumental in keeping BAE Systems prosperous throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

And, as French Defense Minister Gérard Longuet told reporters during an impromptu press conference in Parliament, France may soon find “that good news travels in formation,” implying that further, long-deferred contracts might soon be announced.

[buglerbilly]

EXCLUSIVE-Brazil jets deal heats up as Boeing freezes bid

Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:39am EST

* Boeing offering same price as in 2009 bidding round

* Offer would ensure Brazil a discount in real terms

* Contract may be awarded in first half of 2012

By Brian Winter

SAO PAULO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Boeing has frozen the price on its bid for a multi-billion-dollar Brazilian air force jet contract, sources close to the deal told Reuters, as the global race to sell military hardware to emerging economic powers becomes more competitive.

Boeing is offering to sell its F-18 fighter to Brazil for the same price per plane as its previous offer during a round of bidding in 2009, the sources said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the bidding process.

The sources declined to divulge the dollar amount of the bid, which includes the cost of the plane as well as some future maintenance and replacement parts. But the offer essentially means that Boeing would assume the cost of inflation over the past two-plus years, while the planes would be more than 12 percent cheaper for Brazil in real terms compared to 2009.

"It's an unusual move ... that shows how much value is being placed upon this contract," one of the sources said.

Boeing is competing with France's Dassault and Sweden's Saab for the Brazil deal, which is expected to be worth more than $4 billion over time. Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim told Reuters in January that he hopes the government will make a decision in the first half of 2012.

Boeing's offer illustrates how U.S. and European defense firms are aggressively pursuing deals in the developing world as their markets dry up at home due to budget cuts. Companies are also disputing jet contracts in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and South Korea.

Dassault last week entered exclusive talks to sell its Rafale to India, which could lead to the jet's first foreign order. The deal could make the Rafale a more viable option in the Brazilian bidding process, since an established production line would allow Dassault to offer more stable pricing over time and reduce the risk of cost overruns.

The Brazilian deal will be decided by more than just price. While the F-18 is widely believed to be cheaper than the Rafale, Amorim has said that Brazil will base its choice primarily on how generously the companies offer to share their proprietary technology. Brazil hopes that knowledge will help it build a homegrown defense industry, led by Embraer, which is making a return to its roots by investing in military aircraft.

President Dilma Rousseff also sees the deal as a key decision in Brazil's strategic alignment during the next few decades, officials have said. The planes will be used to help guard Brazil's borders, protect its recently discovered offshore oil fields, and project greater power as Latin America's largest economy continues its climb into the world's elite.

A spokesman for the Brazilian government did not reply to a request for comment. Boeing spokeswoman Marcia Costley said: "We're in a competition and can't comment on the specifics of our offering but what I can say is that Boeing can guarantee a price that has been trending downwards because we have an active production line and can leverage economies of scale."

OUTCOME UNCLEAR

Amorim's recent comments suggest that the Brazilian deal is entering its endgame after more than a decade of intrigue and last-minute surprises.

Rousseff's predecessor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, all but declared Dassault the winner late in his presidency but left office without finalizing the deal. Rousseff then appeared to favor Boeing in comments shortly after taking office in January 2011, but recent developments including Dassault's India talks mean the final decision is now anybody's guess.

Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported this week that the government is leaning toward the Rafale again, though it did not provide a source for the information.

Rousseff is likely to personally lead the decision-making on the contract, Amorim said in January.

The decision may come at a moment when Rousseff will be under unusually heavy pressure to be cost-conscious. The government is expected to freeze about $30 billion in budget spending in the next few weeks, equivalent to just over 3 percent of this year's budget, in an effort to cool the economy and help contain inflation.

The budget freeze will likely be unpopular among members of Congress who will see their discretionary funds cut. That means that Rousseff will need to appear circumspect on other big purchases - including the jets - in order to avert a backlash.

(Editing by Todd Benson and Vicki Allen)

[buglerbilly]

Newspaper: Swiss gov't ignored air force over jets

Published: February 12, 2012 7:58 AM

By The Associated Press

GENEVA - (AP) -- A Swiss newspaper has published what it says is a confidential report in which the Swiss Air Force recommended buying French or European fighter jets to replace its aging fleet -- not the Swedish fighters later chosen by politicians.

The report posted online Sunday by the Zurich weekly newspaper SonntagsZeitung says Air Force tests in 2008 showed that Rafale fighters, made by French company Dassault Aviation, or Eurofighters built by a European consortium, were the best overall performers.

The Swiss Cabinet acknowledged cost was a factor in its November decision to order 22 Gripen fighters from Sweden's Saab AB to replace the air force's Northrop F-5 Tigers.

There was no immediate government comment Sunday.

Swiss lawmakers have yet to approve the deal.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Ecky]

Aviation Week (Source) (http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&newspaperUserId=27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3acdbe4d08-e716-4d22-bdef-fb707ccd5610&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest) is running the Swiss story as well and has a direct link to the original confidential report which makes interesting reading; especially comparing to the existing FA-18C capability.

Ecky

[buglerbilly]

Lots of interesting comments in that ARES thread................

[ADMk2]

Er, the report is missing a lot of pages and is written in English, something doesn't seem quite right here...

[buglerbilly]

Gripen Is the Optimal Solution for the Swiss Army

(Source: Swiss Department of Defence, civil Protection and Sport; issued Feb. 14, 2012)

(Not issued in English; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)

BERNE, Switzerland --- The Gripen meets the stated requirements and needs of the armed forces. It represents a long term solution that is financially affordable. The Swedish fighter is the optimal choice for the Swiss Army.

This is the result of a detailed assessment conducted over several years.

On November 30, 2011 the Federal Council decided to acquire 22 Gripen type E/F combat aircraft to replace the obsolescent F-5E Tigers.

A working document and a summary of each candidate’s evaluations and costs served as the basis for the decision by the entire Federal Council.

These basic documents are the result of a detailed assessment of three types of aircraft (Rafale of the French company Dassault, the EADS/Cassidian Eurofighter consortium and the Swedish Saab Gripen) that was performed over several years.

This assessment revealed that all three models meet the stated requirements, and all three were therefore eligible to be selected as the new Swiss combat aircraft.

The evaluation

The evaluation was a comprehensive analysis of the operational value and cost of the three candidates Eurofighter, Gripen and Rafale.

An integrated project team under the direction of armasuisse [the Swiss defense procurement agency] planned, organized and analyzed the evaluation.

The operational effectiveness of the aircraft was assessed in 2008 and 2009.

It was conducted on the basis of the results of the in-flight and ground evaluations, as well as the analysis of the differences between the models tested and those that would be delivered in case of selection.

The same evaluation criteria and the same grading system was used throughout the evaluation and decision-making process.

Updated offers intended for the Armaments Plan 2012 were submitted in October 2011. They incorporated the final fixed prices which were the basis for the determination of acquisition costs.

A global acquisition package

The acquisition package covers not only the supply of 22 aircraft and their mission equipment, but also a comprehensive package including weapons, logistics package, training systems for pilots, the integration of the new fighters in Switzerland’s command and control systems, as well as other elements.

The estimated operating costs for 30 years were also submitted alongside the acquisition costs.

As the three candidates met the requirements and needs of the armed forces, and in principle are all suitable for the replacement of the partial replacement of F-5 Tiger, the discriminating factor was the financial aspects of the bids.

In fact, the ministry must make every effort to ensure that the acquisition of new fighter aircraft remains financially sustainable for the armed forces, both in the medium and long term, in order to free up the greatest resources possible for the armed forces’ other needs.

This is the reason why the Federal Council voted to approve the defense ministry’s proposal in favor of the Gripen E/F offered by the Swedish company Saab.

This aircraft, that meets the stated requirements, is also a good choice from the financial point of view.

The Gripen is therefore the optimal solution for the armed forces as a whole.

(EDITOR’S NOTE:
During a Feb. 13 press conference, Maurer said the government had not received any formal counter offers. "We've asked the French to give us a really concrete offer," he said. "If we really do get a lower offer, we'd be able to look at it," Reuters reported from Berne.) (ends)


Controversial Choice Of Fighter Jet Defended

(Source: SwissInfo; published Feb. 14, 2012)

Defence Minister Ueli Maurer has justified the cabinet’s decision to buy 22 fighter jets from Sweden, discounting allegations of ignoring unfavourable evaluation reports.

He said the Gripen fighter aircraft was a pragmatic choice and met all the requirements to replace the ageing F-5 Tiger fleet of the Swiss air force.

Maurer said that leaked confidential documents referred to outdated evaluation results.

However, he acknowledged that, contrary to an earlier defence ministry statement, he did know the contents of documents leaked to the Sunday press but had initially believed that that the reports were based on new documents.

Maurer said the reports could be part of efforts to disrupt the acquisition of the Swedish jets by opponents, including disgruntled rival aircraft companies or political opponents.

He added he expected to face further opposition as parliament is set to discuss government spending cuts to compensate for higher army expenditure later this year.

Centre-left parties have called for an immediate suspension of the acquisition to clarify the details of the defence ministry’s evaluation procedure. Centre-right parties criticised the ministry’s information policy and said some questions remained unanswered. (ends)


Gripen Is the Preferred Choice for Switzerland

(Source: Saab AB; issued Feb. 14, 2012)

In a press conference today, Swiss Defence Minister Ueli Maurer reiterated Gripen E/F as the optimal solution for Switzerland.

After an initial evaluation document reached media, the Swiss Defence Minister Ueli Maurer called for a press conference (http://www.vbs.admin.ch/internet/vbs/de/home/documentation/news/news_detail.43408.nsb.html) to comment on the rumors that Gripen would not meet the Swiss Air Force requirements. Today, the Swiss defence authorities reconfirmed Gripen as the optimal solution for Switzerland.

On 30 November 2011, the Swiss Federal Council selected the Gripen E/F as preferred candidate to replace their present F-5 aircraft. Saab and Sweden are now in negotiations with Switzerland, optimizing the complete package and preparing for the acquisition of Gripen E/F.

Saab is confident that the Gripen package givesSwitzerlandwhat it needs in all areas, particularly in terms of a fighter that delivers the best price-to-performance ratio with a long-term and agreed development path. Saab is committed to deliver a comprehensive Industrial Package that delivers long-term benefits to all of society. The acquisition of Gripen will further strengthen the partnership between Switzerland and Sweden.

Gripen, in operational service with five air forces, is an unquestionable capable fighter system that delivers its tasks. It is a new generation, multi-role fighter aircraft which uses state-of-the-art technology. It is capable of performing an extensive range of Air-to-Air, Air-to-Surface and reconnaissance missions employing the most modern range of weapons. Gripen has been part of NATO’s QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) organization since 2005. The operating air forces have participated with Gripen in several large, international exercises (including two Red Flag exercises in the US) with very good result.

With approximately 2,000 flight hours in combat missions over Libya and delivery of close to 40 per cent of the total need of Tactical Reconnaissance in the NATO operation Unified Protector, Gripen is a very capable fighter aircraft.

Saab has been an innovation powerhouse for advanced defence and security technology for 75 years, with system knowledge and system integration as core competencies. Today, Saab has operations in more than 30 countries, while our solutions, products and services are sold to more than a hundred countries. Saab reported sales of SEK 23,498 billion and an operating margin of 12.5 per cent for the full year 2011.

-ends-

[ADMk2]

I'd take 22 Gripens over 14 Rafales any day of the week...

Even Dassault must have realised this, offering an updated package of 18 Rafales for the same price. Shows how much margin there must have been in their original offer...

A Gripen NG with a Selex AESA radar, updated Link 16 MIDS-LVT, AMRAAM / METEOR missiles, IRIS-T and Cobra HMS systems, plus a Gen IV Litening pod will provide more than enough capability for Switzerland's needs.

IF they ever decided to add an air to surface capability to their jets, a Laser JDAM and perhaps Brimstone I/II combo would easily integrate well with this airframe (and even easier with the C/D Hornets) and it's sensor and avionics capability and provide all the air to surface capability the Swiss are ever likely to need.

[buglerbilly]

Boeing has new partner for F-X2 bid in Brazil

By:

51 minutes ago

Source:

Boeing is attempting to tip the scales in its favour in Brazil's F-X2 fighter contest by entering into an alliance with avionics supplier AEL Sistemas, a local subsidiary of Israel's Elbit Systems.

Because Boeing has few export prospects for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the company is making a strong pitch for the Brazilian market, says analyst Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group. Boeing's new alliance with AEL, whose products feature heavily in Brazil's flagship Embraer KC-390 transport/tanker programme, is no coincidence.

"It could play a significant role," in securing a Super Hornet victory, Aboulafia says.

Boeing has selected Elbit to provide a large area display to replace multiple smaller screens for the Super Hornet and the privately developed F-15SE Silent Eagle. Elbit, in turn, has committed to investing in the development of advanced cockpit avionics at AEL.

This arrangement should help fulfil some of the technology transfer that Brazil wants as part of any fighter deal.

"Boeing and its Tier 1 supplier partners are committed to bringing key technologies to Brazil," says Boeing military aircraft chief Chris Chadwick. "Through the projects identified for AEL Sistemas, Boeing and Elbit support Brazil's objective of developing the aerospace capabilities of local industry."

Under a memorandum of understanding signed between Boeing and Elbit on 5 March, AEL will participate in the development, production and support for portions of the large area display. The effort will also pave the way to establish an "advanced cockpit technology centre of excellence" in Brazil. That would allow AEL to expand its avionics offerings to other fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, according to Boeing.

Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is pitted against Saab's Gripen E/F and Dassault's Rafale in a competition that some believe the airframer must win if it harbours any hope of securing additional foreign customers for the US Navy's current strike fighter.

While the French-built Rafale was once seen as a favourite under the previous Brazilian government, the current administration of President Dilma Rousseff seems to be committed to an open competition.

"She's made it pretty clear this is going to be an open contest," Aboulafia says.

[buglerbilly]

BAE Systems Hopes to Supply Eurofighter Typhoon to Malaysia

(Source: Bernama; posted March 14, 2012)

KUALA LUMPUR --- The UK-based global defence and security company, BAE Systems, hopes to supply its Eurofighter Typhoon, the world's most advanced multi-role combat aircraft to Malaysia.

BAE Systems South East Asia managing director John Brosnan said the company had submitted its proposal to the Ministry of Defence, and discussed with local industrial partners on collaboration.

"We have the best aircraft and industrial package to go with it," he told reporters at a media briefing on the company's Malaysia Industrial Participation here today.

On the contract value, Brosnan said it was too early to ascertain the price as this depends on the number of aircraft, as well as the support level required by Malaysia.

"Once the government has evaluated the initial phase, it will issue the detailed specifications, including the support level, and we can then put in the pricing," he added.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Brazil's Rousseff to weigh French jet buy in India

By Yana Marull (AFP) – 1 day ago



BRASILIA — President Dilma Rousseff plans to use her New Delhi visit later this week to sound out Indian leaders on the French Rafale fighter jet, which she is considering buying to beef up Brazil's air force.

On Wednesday Rousseff is to attend the New Delhi summit of the BRICS (Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa) nations aiming to discuss increased cooperation among the five emerging powers, including the establishment of their own development bank.

The next day Rousseff will begin a state visit in India, and officials say the Rafale, which India has selected for its air force, will be a top agenda item.

The Rafale, made by French firm Dassault, is in competition with the F/A-18 Super Hornet, manufactured by US aviation giant Boeing, and Swedish manufacturer Saab's Gripen jet, for a Brazilian contract for 36 aircraft valued at $4 billion and $7 billion.

"The exchange of ideas, impressions" on the Rafale "is certainly beneficial for us," Maria Edileuza Fonteneles Reis, a senior foreign ministry official, said last week.

"India's decision, which has not yet been formalized, could have an impact on Brazil's choice because it would show that the Rafale, which so far has never been exported to another country, has one customer," said Nelson During, a respected Brazilian defense experts who runs the Defesanet website.

"It could resurrect an old project debated by the two countries in 2002 to join hands to produce the same plane," he added.

Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim traveled to India in February to discuss prospects for a "technical military accord."

"It's extremely interesting that the two countries are discussing a military accord" since each country could complement each other in the industrial sector, said During, recalling that India and Brazil plan to modernize their fighter jet fleet and develop a nuclear submarine.

A senior Brazilian government source said Rousseff will decide on which fighter jet to choose after her trip to India, her visit to Washington in April, and the French presidential election in May.

Last year, Brazil delayed a decision on the purchase following a major budget cut.

Rousseff also plans to commit to boosting bilateral trade with India from $9.2 billion last year to $15 billion by 2015, Reis said.

The two countries have developed closer ties since the creation of the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) forum, launched in 2003 to boost South-South cooperation ties.

Meanwhile the BRICS summit was to zero in on a plan for "a BRICS bank, an international, investment bank of these five countries," Brazil's Industry and Trade Minister Fernando Pimentel said last week.

Pimentel said the proposed bank did not mean "abandoning multilateral mechanisms" such as the World Bank (WB) and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), but was a response to today's economic necessities.

The New Delhi BRICS summit will be the fourth since the first held in 2009. South Africa joined the bloc in 2010.

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved

[buglerbilly]

South China Sea Drives Regional Choices

Mar 29, 2012

By Leithen Francis
Singapore



The defense priority for Southeast Asian countries is monitoring and protecting their territories in the South China Sea in response to China’s increased assertiveness and claims to this region.

Chinese submarines, ships and aircraft patrol the area now, and many Southeast Asian nations fear China will build military installations on the islands, atolls and reefs, paving the way for it to exploit the oil and gas reserves under the seabed. China already has a permanent fort on Mischief Reef in the South China Sea.

The fact that China has such a large military has led all the coastal Southeast Asian nations—with the exception of Singapore—to conclude that they are inadequately equipped to protect their interests in the South China Sea. Each is now racing to invest in new fighters that will remain their mainstays beyond 2020. The importance of airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft and networked fighters has also caught on.

Singapore, which has the largest defense budget of any Southeast Asian nation, has Gulfstream G550s equipped with ELTA Systems’ AEW mission suite. Its fighters include Lockheed Martin *F-16s and Boeing F-15s. It is planning to modernize the F-16s and is expected to choose the “V” upgrade Lockheed Martin unveiled at the Singapore Airshow last month. This includes active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar as well as data links allowing the F-16V to communicate with Lockheed Martin F-35s and F-22s. Singapore became a security cooperation participant on the F-35 program in 2003 and is expected to order the aircraft eventually.

No other Southeast Asian nation can afford all the equipment Singapore has, but some are seeking to develop similar capabilities. Thailand operates one Saab Erieye AEW aircraft and has one more on order. It has also received six Saab Gripen JAS 39C/Ds and ordered six more; first deliveries of the second tranche will start early next year. Equipment on its Gripens include Erics*son/GEC-Marconi PS-05/A pulse-doppler radar, RBS15 anti-ship missiles and the EWS 39 electronic warfare suite, the same suite used by the Swedish air force.

Thailand is widely expected to order another six Gripen fighters, bringing its fleet of the aircraft to 18. The country purchased Gripens to replace its Northrop F-5s based at Surat Thani air base because it is convinced of the merits of networked fighters. The Swedes argue that having better intelligence on your enemy’s whereabouts—through the use of Saab AEW—allows you to place fighters more effectively, creating an opportunity to defeat a larger enemy.

The networked solution is also being taken to the next level. Saab owns 40% of Thai company Avia Satcom, which has been tasked with developing a national tactical data link that will cover the AEW aircraft, Gripens and F-16s as well as the navy’s aircraft and ships. The Saab Erieye also works with Link 16, so it can feed data to U.S. platforms such as F-16s, but the advantage for Thailand in having a national data link is its control over the encryption.

Thailand is also undertaking a midlife upgrade of 18 F-16A/Bs. This involves installing: a more advanced mechanically scanned radar (Northrop Grumman APG-68V9), new friend-or-foe detection system (BAE Systems APX-113), electronic warfare management system (Terma ALQ-213), and system for protecting against enemy missiles (BAE ALE-47). Thai F-16s and Gripens are equipped with Raytheon’s AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile and AIM-120 Amraam and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

Malaysia is planning to add AEW aircraft networked to fighters, too. It has been considering the Northrop Grumman E-2D as well as the Erieye radar mounted on Embraer EMB-145s.

The new fighters Malaysia plans to order will replace RSK MiG-29s based at Kuantan air base overlooking the South China Sea. Contending to meet the requirement are Saab’s Gripen JAS 39C/D and Gripen NG, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Eurofighter’s Typhoon and Dassault’s Rafale.

Malaysia already has eight older-variant Hornets so, in theory at least, it does not have to order many Super Hornets to form a squadron, as upgraded Hornets could work alongside the Super Hornets. The Boeing aircraft use many of the same weapons, too. At the Malaysia LIMA Airshow last December, Boeing announced a contract to upgrade the air force’s eight Hornets with improved GPS and “identification friend or foe interrogation” capabilities as well as a joint helmet-mounted cueing system (JHCS). The JHCS is needed because Malaysia is purchasing AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder missiles. The JHCS allows pilots to point an AIM-9X missile seeker and lock onto the target simply by looking at it.

The Rafale, like the Super Hornet, has been in active duty as a naval fighter. The maritime aspect is important, because the fighters at Kuantan air base are used to protect Malaysia’s South China Sea interests.

Indonesia also wants to protect its South China Sea territory. It is receiving 24 Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds from the U.S. for free but will spend $750 million to upgrade these to the Block 52 standard, says the U.S. Defense Department. The modernization includes: friend-or-foe radar warning receivers (Raytheon ALR-69), modular mission computers, an electronic warfare management system (Terma ALQ-213), missile protection system (BAE ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser system), situational awareness data link and targeting pods.

In addition, the head of the Indonesian air force, Air Chief Marshal Imam Sufaat, told Aviation Week in February that the country wants to buy AEW aircraft that can be networked to the F-16s. It now has three Boeing 737-2X9 Surveillers equipped with side-looking airborne modular multimission radar.

Photo: Saab

[buglerbilly]

FIDAE: Fighter manufacturers eye Chile's F-5 replacement need

By: Dave Majumdar Washington DC

2 hours ago

Source:

Defence contractors displayed their wares at Chile's FIDAE air show in the hope of securing an early foothold in a potential new fighter contest.

By 2015, Chile must replace an aged fleet of 16 upgraded Northrop F-5E/Fs, locally called the Tiger III Plus. The aircraft are the remnants of a larger fleet that has mostly been replaced with second-hand Lockheed Martin F-16s.

Though the F-5s are equipped with the relatively new EL/M-2032 radar from Israel's Elta Systems, the lightweight fighters date back to the early 1970s. Santiago had originally hoped to retire the twin-engined type by 2009.

However, a replacement programme never materialised. Instead, Chile continued to buy surplus F-16AM/BMs from ex-Royal Netherlands Air Force stocks. Initially, it had planned to buy 18 of the refurbished aircraft, but has instead ended up with 36. That is in addition to 10 F-16C/D Block 52s that the country purchased new from the USA.

US and European defence contractors are expressing interest in supplying Chile with new fighters to replace the remaining F-5s.

Boeing displayed an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Block II cockpit demonstrator with a front and rear cockpit that can mimic either version of the strike aircraft, and a large area display that the company is currently developing. Boeing says it does not comment on discussions it might have with potential customers.

Saab is also attending the show, and the company says it would be interested in a Chilean tender should it materialise.

"Based on our experiences from the successful F-5 replacement in Thailand and the ongoing negotiations with Switzerland on the same theme, we are confident that Gripen would be a very interesting candidate in this case as well," says company representative Jenny Nilsson. However, it has had no contact with the Chilean government regarding any F-5 replacement, it says.

Lockheed is also at FIDAE, but is non-committal about bidding for a potential Chilean requirement, noting that it will work with the nation to "to ensure that their F-16 fleet continues to serve the defence needs of their country".

The Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon are also potential candidates if a contest takes place.

[buglerbilly]

Follow-up to TTE Acquisition Procedure and Impact on Military Funding

(Source: Swiss Dept. of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports; issued April 25, 2012)


Switzerland has decided to combine its purchase of 22 Gripen NGs with Sweden’s planned buy of up to 80 aircraft, and to share in the development program.(Saab photo)

The Federal Council has decided on a joint procedure with Sweden for the acquisition of 22 Gripen fighters intended for the partial replacement of the Tiger fighters (TTE program). This implies a postponement of initial deliveries of the new aircraft.

It has also been decided to set up a dedicated fund to finance the TTE program.

On November 30, 2011, the Federal Council decided to acquire 22 combat aircraft Gripen type in the weapons program in 2012.

The DDPS was then instructed to optimize Saab’s offerin cooperation with the Swedish government.

Although negotiations with the latter are not yet complete, it appears that it is in the interest of Switzerland to purchase 22 Gripen in parallel and in common with the Swedish government, which plans to order 60 to 80 aircraft.

That is why the Federal Council today approved to coordinate its planned acquisition with Sweden.

This approach has the advantage of creating synergies both in the field of aircraft manufacturing and of program development.

However, this decision will results in a delay of nearly two years in aircraft deliveries, to allow Switzerland to purchase its own aircraft at the same time as those of Sweden.

Whatever option is chosen, the spending limit will not exceed CHF 3.126 billion earmarked for the full acquisition of the 22 Gripen.

Because of the delayed delivery of the aircraft, the Federal Council proposed to Parliament to increase the military budget to CHF 4.7 billion from 2015.

It is planned to create a fund to finance the TTE acquisition. This "TTE fund" will be financed by an annual contribution of CHF 300 million paid from the defence budget.

The Federal Council has decided that the Armaments Plan relative to the TTE program must be presented in October 2012.

-ends-

[buglerbilly]

Russia to Sell Off 18 'Indian' Su-30 Fighters


Russia is to put up for sale a batch of 18 Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter aircraft, rejected by India
© Ilia Pitalev12:11 16/05/2012MINSK, May 16 (RIA Novosti)

Russia is to put up for sale a batch of 18 Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter aircraft, rejected by India on concerns about their engines and returned to Russia in 2003, a defense official said on Wednesday.

"The 18 Su-30s previously used by India and then returned, are in an aviation repair plant in Belarus and are on sale to potential buyers," said Alexander Fomin, deputy director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation. He added that the aircraft could be modernized before being sold on.

The Su-30MKI is India's lead fighter aircraft, and around 140 have been produced under license by HAL Aeronautics in India. The Indian Air Force is expected to buy a total of around 280 during the next decade.

Development of the Su-30 began in the 1980s for the Soviet Armed Forces, based on the Su-27UB conversion trainer.

The first batch of 18 Su-30s delivered to India were Su-30MK and Su-30K standard, and were built to a lower specification than the later Su-30MKI. This meant that they did not have thrust-vectoring engine nozzles or canard foreplanes, enabling extra maneuverability.

Their avionics systems were also built to a lower specification than the later Su-30MKIs built by HAL, which included a high level of Israeli and French-built systems.