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New Delhi, Feb 16: French President Jacques Chirac is expected to formally convey to the Indian government its decision to offer the Rafale multirole fighter, instead of its Dassault’s Mirage-2000-5 fighter earlier put forth, in the bid for $9 bn 126 combat aircraft floated by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
IAF was completely taken by surprise, as it was looking at the Mirage aircraft, the French government has conveyed its intention to shortly pull the Mirage-family of fighters off all production lines at contractor Dassault’s facilities to make way for the full-rate production of the new-generation Rafale.
According to sources, since it would take at least three-four years for a contract to actually be signed with India, the French government thought that it would be too expensive to keep the Mirage factories running.
The Rafale, it feels, would be a more a suitable contender: it is much more capable, though considerably costlier.When air chief SP Tyagi visited Paris last June, he was given the opportunity to take a spin in a Rafale C-variant twin-seater at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget.
In fact, even the Naval Chief Admiral Arun Prakash flew in a Rafale-M carrier variant, when he was Western Naval commander, early in 2004.
France’s offer, like the other countries contending for the massive deal, would include the licensed manufacture of Rafales at HAL’s facilities.
The defence delegation accompanying the french president, led by defence minister Michele Alliot-Marie, is expected to inform the South Block that upgrading infrastructure for the Rafale will not be an expensive proposition since it takes much from the Mirage family itself.
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