With Egypt and India, a four Rafale is now … – Les Echos

New Delhi has ordered 36 Rafale. This is the second international reference in two months after Egypt.

A few days before the official visit of Narendra Modi in France, Francois Hollande warned that it was not s wait for announcements concerning the Rafale. At least not “before” the arrival of the Indian Prime Minister had said the head of state, a crucial point gone unnoticed. What therefore was not surprised to hear the same Friday Narendra Modi ask France to provide it as soon as possible copies of the 36 combat aircraft from Dassault “ready to fly” , ie, is to say, out of the factory Dassault Merignac near Bordeaux.

After the contract was signed with Egypt, the flagship of the tricolor military aviation is about to win his second international reference. With this incredible balance: if we add 24 Rafale Cairo and New Delhi with 36 180 ordered to date by the French Air Force (remained for thirty years the only customer), we deduce a four Rafale is now exported against zero there again less than two months

Read also & gt; Egypt, the first buyer Rafale abroad

While the Indian contract is not signed yet and the local administration to the rhythm of reincarnations. But the declaration of Narendra Modi, made after the head-to-head with Francois Hollande, more importantly for his first official visit to France, a papal bull value for its troops. Jean-Yves Le Drian should also be on site quickly to sign the transaction to well over 5 billion euros.

The order is significant in amount and because it throws a major mortgage of the French military planning law. In passing the 2015 vintage of defense exports went to a peak. But many questions remain, the main one being: what the main negotiation on 126 Rafale and runs for three years

Exclusive since Dassault won the call for? international tender called “MMRCA”, it states that the first 18 copies are made in France, the other in India as part of a technology transfer. Alas, the negotiations have stumbled over issues of industrial responsibility, when it is priceless. The “make in India” advocated by Modi faces the reality of the learning curve local industrialists, who can not produce as efficiently as Dassault Rafale and its partners. In any case, not before long.

Tempo Acceleration

In early December, at its first meeting on site with his counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Manohar Parrikar had expressed their intention to speed up the tempo. February 22, again there, the Indians tell the French minister that they are in a hurry: the service Mig are old, their replacement can not wait for the conclusion of the MMRCA. The final act was played in three days in Paris. The negotiations initially focused on 63 Rafale are decreased to 18 to 36 to finally end.

In Paris, it is suggested that this command does not question the tender. In other words, that the made in France is not going to replace the “make in India.” It seems obvious that, given its needs, India can not settle for 36 copies.

In India, Friday’s announcement was greeted with amazement, the specialists have many questions on the relationship between the two contracts. They wonder if there will be a change in the terms of the tender for 126 fighters, which could pave the way for a lawsuit unfortunate competitors of the French plane. Some fear that, strengthened by this firm order for 36 aircraft, Dassault does is more uncompromising in pursuit of MMRCA negotiations. “It is certain that sell aircraft manufactured in France is much more comfortable for us, says a member of the group Rafale. is to control everything and escapes full of hassles Indian requirements “ in technology transfer and offset.