It seems that this is actually just a 1st round in a series of decision making processes and it does not mean that Dassault have won the deal yet, at least that is what I just heard during PMQ's a minute ago.

i also read that the decission can still change......but i doubt it actually.

???

Who sends aid to India these days?

India is number 8 in the world for GDP and almost certain to pass the UK in the next years.

If anything aid will soon be going the other way.

the UK sends about £280 million a year, this to a country who has a space programe and an air force practically twice the size of ours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12607537

"Deutsche staatliche Mittel für Entwicklungs*zusammen*arbeit pro Jahr:
50,5 Millionen Euro (2011)"

so, half a Rafale from Germany ;)

even China gets money, and would be not amused if not.............

No worries ;) The main 'problem' with the Eurofighter is that really it was designed at the tail-end of the cold war when the requirements for a fighter were different, as in more geared around fast takeoff and rate of climb to intercept the pesky Tupolev Bears and the like rather than an air-superiority fighter in the more modern sense. It's come a long way in meeting that role now but it's still got a way to go to become a reliable and useful multi-role aircraft, for which it was never really designed but could still meet. I've heard of the figure of 5 years being chucked around in some magazines, at which point it will apparently be better than the Rafale, but I'm not sure if they're talking about the Eurofighter being better in 5 years than the Rafale is now, or if both were updated the Eurofighter being better in 5 years time. We'll see I suppose.

Anyway, there's no point getting all hurt about it, sure we didn't get the deal but it's not like India didn't accept it because the Eurofighter is British (which it isn't even fully British). If India chose the Rafale it's because they deemed it the better option for them, or at least the cheaper option for them, it's not a personal insult aimed at us.

What happened to JAS Gripen?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DsKIS3dPl2...AS39Gripen.jpg

Probably not enough payload/range for India.

Edit: I just read it was about nuclear capability which EADS didnt like too much.

Agreed.. a sad day.

Fair enough, but £280 million? The real question is why would you bother? ... that's like pocket money in International terms.

Still you have a point, India could just order 123 Rafale jets instead of 126 and send back the British aid.