Cocorico! The Rafale is the “best aircraft in the world.” Both interceptor defender, fighter-bomber “excels in low-level fire support”, while its airborne version allows her to run “a projection of force to thousands of kilometers from its base.” Crowing and congratulations to the “Team Rafale” (Dassault Aviation, Safran, Thales), which, 13 years after its commissioning – and despite 13 years of “French bashing” – just sold one after 24 of these fighter jets Egypt and 36 in India. Dassault, where the sand champagne after experiencing the bitterness and cold showers, one begins to dream. This double success should unlock other endless negotiations: Qatar, United Arab Emirates. And why Malaysia or Indonesia?
Cocorico and thank you (also) to America and its foreign policy which meanders, betrayals and illegibility allow the Gallic rooster, long reduced to scrape its lugs to fly. And see his little costly triumph wonder, against competitors from Boeing and Northrop Gruman.
And Snowden changed the situation
The American superpower is unrivaled. But it has a cost: arrogance, hubris that make it up sometimes forget common sense. Brazil, December 2013: to lobbying force with the staff, the Pentagon managed to discredit the Rafale – oversold Lula Nicolas Sarkozy – as before in South Korea with George Bush in person at the maneuver. But here’s a nasty outbreak of spy story. Thanks to the revelations of Edward Snowden, NSA employee, do not do we learn that the US Surveillance Agency intercepted (among others) Dilma Rousseff communications and colleagues?
State Scandal. Brazilian President cancels his visit to Washington. And realigned its order for 36 F-18 Super Hornet from Boeing in favor of the Swedish Saab Gripen. Officially “cheaper”, but less powerful. Loss for Dassault like Boeing: $ 5.5 billion. The Rafale team ponders the lesson. The US iron pot always overwrite the French clay pot … unless you play on US weakness with respect to its “great friends” elastic support alliance setbacks, degraded defense
French pay Geostrategy
Example elastic support? Vis-à-vis politics of Egypt, now considered a lock against Islamism. Great defenders of Mubarak, best friend since the Camp David Accords with Israel in 1978, the United States has abandoned in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood during the “Arab Spring”, but did not appreciate the level of unpopularity due to their awful management. The result: an arms embargo and a late rally to General Al Sissi came to the head of the country by a military coup. Disappointed by America, Sissi Marshal away from Washington. And decided to diversify its suppliers to modernize its army. Where the contract signed with France (co-financed by the UAE and Saudi Arabia) on 24 Rafale. America relied on its F16. Already equipped with Mirage 2000, Cairo tricolor had chosen to fight djhiadisme Libya protect its borders with the Gaza Strip and secure the Suez Canal.
It is also the memory of a random support that motivated the contract with India. Back in 1999. In war against Pakistan, India still remembers how the bombings – 4,000 meters – Mirage 2000 equipping its air force allowed him to push the Pakistanis on the heights of Kargil, the disputed region of Kashmir. But she remembers most of France’s veto sanctions in the wake of its first nuclear test in 1998. Even as American diplomacy, fervent support of Pakistan, opposed the entry into this exclusive club. Today the F15, F16, F18 or F35 Boeing are not welcome on Indian soil when Washington dream to clip the wings of aircraft traffic.
Benefits of the Agreement States US-Iran
But it is especially in the future that America risk of escape of the markets it believed acquired. For its price “reverse alliance” with Iran. Because if the United States took the head of a coalition against the Islamic state that threatens oil monarchies of the Gulf, these same countries, once close allies of Uncle Sam, to denounce the media length his “betrayal” his “dropping” because of the agreement that recognizes Iran’s sworn enemy and rival for hegemony in the region, the right to nuclear equipment. And they worry about the risk that the $ 150 billion that represent the lifting of the embargo on its Iranian bank accounts used to finance the Shiite militias and terrorism.
Not so with the France which, from Mali to Iraq, is fighting against the jihadists in “OPEX” external -Operations kind Serval operation – which also represent showcases (“combat proven”) for its Rafale. Dissatisfied, they say, that Egypt blew his first contract Gust, he goes Qatar ordering of the 24 aircraft that was said finalized in February? Washington will succeed in countering the sale with F15 (with provision of US pilots for training)?
Prudent, the Elysee merely says that “Indian control should appeal other “. With turnovers, small betrayals and strategy changes of American diplomacy in the arc of crisis, the assumption is now serious.
No comments:
Post a Comment