“Su-30MKI” vs. “Rafale”: the battle for 20 billion dollars
The final stage of the fight for the right to re-equip the air forces of India with new fighters is unfolding in the Indian city of Bangalore. Price issue - 20 billion dollars. This money was intended for the French, but now they can go to Russian aircraft manufacturers
These days at the airbase, located in the suburb of the Indian city of Bangalore, is the tenth aerospace exhibition "Aero India-2015". More than 600 companies from 33 countries of the world producing military aircraft, anti-aircraft missile systems, communication systems, etc., present their products on it. But special attention in Bangalore is riveted to the French Rafale fighters and Russian Su-30MKI fighters, since they are at the epicenter of the scandal associated with the desire of the Indian military to re-equip their fleet with new fighters.
In Russia, it is considered that India is the most important and most reliable buyer of Russian weapons. Indeed, more than 70% of weapons, military equipment of the Indian army, air force, navy - Russian and Soviet production. According to estimates of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, for 2013 a year the volume of Russia's commitments to supply India with weapons and military equipment amounted to almost $ 5 billion.
But at the same time, recently, the Indians began to pursue a policy of diversification of arms suppliers. One of the consequences of this policy were the results of the tender for the supply of Indian fighter jets 126, which was held at the turn of 2011-2012. Russia offered Mig-35 for this tender (an upgraded version of Mig-29), but the French company Dassault Aviation won with the Rafale fighter.
However, over the past three years, no Rafale has ever appeared in the Indian Air Force. And there are several reasons for this. First, during this time, these planes for the Indian military have doubled in price - from 10 billion dollars to almost 20 billion dollars. Secondly, the parties could not really agree on the production of these machines in India, at the factories of the Indian company HAL. According to available information, the French, for example, refused to share with HAL the production technologies of some of the components of this aircraft, and refused to extend their warranty obligations to the machines that would be made in India. Thirdly, a lot has been said lately that when summarizing the results of this tender, the cost of operating these machines for an 30-40-year perspective was not accurately calculated.
“The Indian side made a mistake when calculating the costs of servicing Rafale during the whole period of their operation,” writes, for example, the Indian newspaper Business Standard. Finally, a completely unpleasant surprise for the Indian military was the position of France regarding the Mistral helicopter carriers, which were built for Russian money at French shipyards, but have not yet been handed over to Russia. That is, France in dealing with the “Mistral” proved to be a frankly unreliable supplier of weapons, which could not but push the Indian military to sad thoughts.
Therefore, back in November last year, Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar stated that “the most adequate proposal to meet the needs of the country's Air Force is the Su-30MKI fighter”. This Russian vehicle is already being manufactured for the Indian Air Force under a Russian license at the plants of HAL Corporation. Moreover, its cost is 3,58 billion rupees (57,5 million dollars) - this is half the cost of Rafale.
The Russian side was ready for such a turn of affairs. “Which plane is better is up to the customer. But we will respect any decision of the Indian side. Nevertheless, India produces our aircraft now, under them built factories. Documentation was transferred, airbases, infrastructure for the operation of these aircraft were formed, pilots and technical personnel were trained, ”said Yuri Slyusar, being in Bangalore, President of the United Aircraft Building Corporation. “If the decision is not in favor of Rafale, we express our willingness and ability to replace it with Su-30MKI. India has already deployed facilities for the production and maintenance of this aircraft, as well as for personnel training. And it will be much more economical for the Indian side, ”said Sergey Goreslavsky, Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport.
As a result, the French drove three Rafale fighters to the exhibition in Bangalore this year and, sparing no fuel, they show the capabilities of these aircraft "in action" for almost a week. The Russians, for their part, on Aero India-2015 continue to convince their Indian partners of the need to deepen joint military-technical cooperation. February 19, for example, the Indian Air Force solemnly handed over the first Su-30MKI fighter armed with the air version of the BrahMos-A supersonic cruise missile (this rocket is the fruit of the joint work of Russian and Indian designers). The Indian government allocates more than 30 billion dollars for the purchase of these missiles for Su-1MKI.
The joint work continues on the creation of a two-seat, advanced Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft multifunctional fighter (FGFA) and a multi-purpose transport aircraft. “The FGFA fighter is being developed on the basis of the Russian PAK FA in accordance with the technical requirements imposed by the Indian side. The development of the program provides for the design and development of a two-seat version of the aircraft and the integration of an advanced engine with increased propulsion. Cooperation in the area of joint marketing of the complex to third countries is envisaged, ”said Anatoliy Punchuk, Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, on FGFA prospects.
The final decision on the Rafale fighters, according to Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, will be made in early March, after the Indian military will receive a detailed analysis of the Dassault Aviation tender offer. But, obviously, this decision will not be in favor of the French. On the other hand, for Russians this storyprobably will serve as a good lesson for the future.
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