+FormationLiaoning+escort+group+4+incl.+subs+Type+052D+Guided+Missile+Destroyer,+Type+052C+,+Peoples+Liberation+Army+Navy+5+Type+052C+Type+052D+destroyers+(7).jpg)
Dominic O'Connell
The fortunes of Eurofighter, the much-criticised European combat aircraft, could improve sharply next month when it stakes a claim for a multi-billion-pound contract in India. India wants to buy more than 130 modern fighters, making the contract one of the largest international arms deals in recent years. Analysts say that with ongoing support deals, it could be worth more than £10 billion. If Eurofighter wins, it would be a boon for BAE Systems, Britain’s largest defence group, which is part of the four-nation consortium that makes the high-tech aircraft. The competition for the contract starts next month, when the six planes selected by India begin a fly-off that will consist of a series of trials throughout the subcontinent. The six taking part are Eurofighter, Boeing’s F/A-18, Lockheed Martin’s F-16, France’s Rafale, Russia’s MiG-35 and Sweden’s Gripen. Defence analysts said the contest would probably come down to a race between the Eurofighter and the F/A-18. “They look like the most likely contenders,” said one source at last week’s Paris air show. The Indian government is unlikely to make a speedy choice, with the trials expected to last for up to a year. BAE has strong contacts in India, having struck a collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), one of the country’s biggest defence groups. HAL now makes BAE’s Hawk trainer jet, used by the Indian air force, in Bangalore. The Eurofighter Typhoon has had a rough ride in Europe, with some defence analysts and politicians calling for the project to be curtailed. Designed as an air-superiori-ty fighter to combat Soviet bombers, the aircraft has been modified to make it more versatile, but this has not stopped calls for its cancellation. Britain has agreed in principle to buy part of the project’s third and final batch of planes. BAE recently completed the first Eurofighter destined for export to Saudi Arabia. The group will make 72 of the aircraft for the Arab kingdom under a government-to-govern-ment deal negotiated as a follow-on to the controversial Al-Yamamah arms deal struck by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. BAE believes it can sell another 72 Eurofighters to Saudi Arabia, but senior sources at the company say that a deal is not likely to be clinched until the aircraft is operational with the Royal Saudi air force. Meanwhile, European defence ministers meet in Seville tomorrow to discuss the fate of the A400M military transport aircraft. The €20 billion (£17 billion) programme is running several years late and over budget. Britain has said it would decide by the end of this month whether to go ahead with its plan to buy 25 of the planes, but France and Germany want a six-month delay to take stock. Supporters of the A400M, which would be a rival and potential replacement for the ubiquitous Hercules transport aircraft, say it will eventually provide much-needed capability to air forces in Europe. Defence ministries are unhappy with the delays, however, and the prospect of having to find other aircraft until the new plane is ready for service. Lockheed Martin, the American group that makes the Hercules, is in talks with a number of European governments, including Britain’s, about possible stop-gap solutions. Lockheed is also understood to be preparing a new, larger and lighter version of the Hercules to tempt would-be buyers of the A400M.
The fortunes of Eurofighter, the much-criticised European combat aircraft, could improve sharply next month when it stakes a claim for a multi-billion-pound contract in India. India wants to buy more than 130 modern fighters, making the contract one of the largest international arms deals in recent years. Analysts say that with ongoing support deals, it could be worth more than £10 billion. If Eurofighter wins, it would be a boon for BAE Systems, Britain’s largest defence group, which is part of the four-nation consortium that makes the high-tech aircraft. The competition for the contract starts next month, when the six planes selected by India begin a fly-off that will consist of a series of trials throughout the subcontinent. The six taking part are Eurofighter, Boeing’s F/A-18, Lockheed Martin’s F-16, France’s Rafale, Russia’s MiG-35 and Sweden’s Gripen. Defence analysts said the contest would probably come down to a race between the Eurofighter and the F/A-18. “They look like the most likely contenders,” said one source at last week’s Paris air show. The Indian government is unlikely to make a speedy choice, with the trials expected to last for up to a year. BAE has strong contacts in India, having struck a collaboration with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), one of the country’s biggest defence groups. HAL now makes BAE’s Hawk trainer jet, used by the Indian air force, in Bangalore. The Eurofighter Typhoon has had a rough ride in Europe, with some defence analysts and politicians calling for the project to be curtailed. Designed as an air-superiori-ty fighter to combat Soviet bombers, the aircraft has been modified to make it more versatile, but this has not stopped calls for its cancellation. Britain has agreed in principle to buy part of the project’s third and final batch of planes. BAE recently completed the first Eurofighter destined for export to Saudi Arabia. The group will make 72 of the aircraft for the Arab kingdom under a government-to-govern-ment deal negotiated as a follow-on to the controversial Al-Yamamah arms deal struck by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. BAE believes it can sell another 72 Eurofighters to Saudi Arabia, but senior sources at the company say that a deal is not likely to be clinched until the aircraft is operational with the Royal Saudi air force. Meanwhile, European defence ministers meet in Seville tomorrow to discuss the fate of the A400M military transport aircraft. The €20 billion (£17 billion) programme is running several years late and over budget. Britain has said it would decide by the end of this month whether to go ahead with its plan to buy 25 of the planes, but France and Germany want a six-month delay to take stock. Supporters of the A400M, which would be a rival and potential replacement for the ubiquitous Hercules transport aircraft, say it will eventually provide much-needed capability to air forces in Europe. Defence ministries are unhappy with the delays, however, and the prospect of having to find other aircraft until the new plane is ready for service. Lockheed Martin, the American group that makes the Hercules, is in talks with a number of European governments, including Britain’s, about possible stop-gap solutions. Lockheed is also understood to be preparing a new, larger and lighter version of the Hercules to tempt would-be buyers of the A400M.
12 comments:
Why most posting are about India,China and SA .Is Nothing happens in my country Russia or North Asia(Siberia) is not in Russia.So why not any posting about Russia. Or Change Name of Blog Name From Asian Defence.
Well there isnt exactly much progress in Russia lately, now is there?
As for the article, the author writes some serious BS there and IMO takes a very pro-american stance:
Examples:
"The fortunes of Eurofighter, the much-criticised European combat aircraft..."
Oh yeah, thats a way to start an objective article.
"The Eurofighter Typhoon has had a rough ride in Europe, with some defence analysts and politicians calling for the project to be curtailed."
Isnt that the case with every big-budget-project and not only in Europe (see F-22, JSF, tankers etc.)?!
"Designed as an air-superiori-ty fighter to combat Soviet bombers, the aircraft has been modified to make it more versatile,"
Now this is plain BS. Even the successor project to the Typhoon, the ECA was not a pure air-superiority fighter, it was a tactical aircraft from the beginning. With the Typhoon the emphasis is and always has been on comprehensive multi-role capabilities.
Now the second part of the article about the A400M (which I agree is not exactly a role-model of successful development) in connection with the last paragraph makes very clear, where the loyalty of the author seems to be:
"Lockheed is also understood to be preparing a new, larger and lighter version of the Hercules to tempt would-be buyers of the A400M."
Yeah the wonder-bird Hercules XL. Which they claim has 50% payload increase but uses the same wing and engines as the C-130J. Oh yeah and hitting IOC within five years of order. Do they actually expect people to believe in this PR-crap? Hey, Airbus might have messed up big time with the A400M, but at least they are not living in an alternate reality.
This blog needs to be renamed to
"Defence: Friends, Enemys and Pakistan"
Thats very informative for guys like us who is looking for these information all the time. Well if you want to rename it to :
"Defence: Friends, Enemys and Pakistan"
I think no need to use enemy word twice.
Personally I want to go for Eurofighter. They are great.
How much Russia is directly involved in the Asia Region? We will try to do so in future. Any ways if we had to rename the blog China is the best option as linking it with Pakistan and Indian will limit it to SA only and exclude the our other area of interest like Japan, but how to put middle east in it?
para I am afraid that I might miss the dead line I set Saab-2000AEW&C and A-50I AEW&C article by couple of weeks and so my apologies for that
Ankit Welcome to the blog and as far as MMRCA is concerned in my personal views FA-18 E/F is the front runner with Eurofighter and JAS-39 IN are in second and third place
this blog post about Australia but about Russia it is amazing.I thing he also post Russia and Other Middle Country.
Ankit
Another deluded internet Indian.
Another reason why, India will not have an indeginous fighter because there are superior jets offered abroad, plus the defense department like their commission of white chicks.
Type 99,
Our defense department may like their commission of white chicks but our neighbours are ten notches below in the character game.
Pak officials behind killing of 11 French engineers
type
i think this guy never heard of india's research on this field so first brush up ur mind type and comment.
@
June 23, 2009 10:24 PM and Akit
The Indian arms industry is not providing the weapons to the military, fact. Everything is imported or licenced prduced. A trillion dollar economy but no advanced weapons. The Soviet Union was a trillion dollar economy and achieved excellence in many fields.
You will try to deflect attention towards Pakistan and cite issues like bombings but hey just look up your own problems. All them license production of aircraft and help from the Russians and French inparticular has had limited results. You guys are too proud to admit, there are failings because your scared someone will point it but take comfort in that Pakistan is doing worse (;
Type 99,
The reason our indeginous weapon programs suffers is because our Armed Forces are spoiled for choice and rightly so. In order to balance China's overwhelming size we need to keep a technological edge over our adverceries. China has no choice but to support the domestic industry, not that they dont long for better imports. Why do you think they reversed engineer Su-27 if J-10 was such a hit.
@
June 24, 2009 6:52 PM
No one knows the true capabilities of J 10 because it is only tested by Chinese, thus your speculation is just that.
Have noticed the US, USSR, Russia etc have two frontline fighters. US has F 16 and F 15s flying for the airforce. China wants this mix. The longer range J-11B and more agile J 10A. Both SU 27 and J11A/B are or were produced by Shenyang; J 10 and FC 1 are produced by Chengdu. Two different designers and manufacturers brings competation and both aircraft capabilities complement each other.
Also China will be fielding an AESA radar before the first foreign aircraft (mrca) lands in China. J 10B.
Post a Comment