Congratulations to Dassault!!! 10.4 billion Indian Air Force Rafale contract!

[Thee_oddball]

Originally Posted by WTE_Galway

More to the point, Asia may see some serious ground/air conflicts in the next half century as the US and Europe decay and the Asian region emerges.

The requirements of a country like India are quite different to western countries that occasionally get involved in "police actions" where they blow up random camel herders with the help of billion dollar high tech weapon systems.

It is however odd they have not gone with more homegrown tech.

WTE you do know that tank did design an airplane for India right? sorry OP not trying to hijack your thread but when i saw india it reminded me of the Hindustan Aeronautics HF-24 Marut



S!

[Sternjaeger II]

what are the cost per unit and maintenance costs of a Rafale and Eurofighter?

[Jaws2002]

I think they made the right decision. It's prbabily easier to work with France when it comes to technology import. They'll build about a hundred of them locally, in India and probabily they have rights to all the tech that goes into it.
The Rafale is also much more suited for ground support than Eurofighter and it's carrier capable. They already have very positive experience with Dassault aircraft, so I think in the end, they made the right decision.

And the mandatory cool Rafale shot.

[Ploughman]

Originally Posted by Jaws2002

Wow, looking at the seams on the fuselage that ship looks quite worn out. The wings and the canards are very tight looking, but the main body of the fighter doesn't seem to benefit from the same production values. Perhaps it's the angle of light being unkind, but that doesn't look like a 4.5 fighter.

[WTE_Galway]

Of course if the ongoing squabble with Pakistan escalates you may see the new generation of Dassault products taking on the PAF's aging but operational 150 odd Dassault Mirage III's (ex Aussie RAAF I believe) and Mirage V's.