A strategic engagement with the European Union

This article A strategic engagement with the European Union was published two weeks ago in the Edit Page of The Pioneer.
I am posting it now as Madame Florence Parly, French Defense Minister arrives in Delhi on an important two-day visit to India. She will meet her lady counterpart, Nirmala Sitharaman and the Prime Minister.
She is due to inauguate the new facilities of DRAL (Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited) with Anil Ambani (Reliance group) et Eric Trappier (Dassault Aviation).
The collaboration between Reliance and Dassault is part of the offset deal for the purchase of 36 Rafales.

Here is the link...

With Modi having developed an excellent rapport with Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, it would make economic and strategic sense for India to partner Europe. The Franco-German project can be a starter

It may not be possible to characterize the relations between France and India as ‘higher than the mountains, deeper than the ocean, sweeter than honey’; it may never go into such superlatives, but since the past 30 years the contacts have been based on ‘hard-rock’ foundation, formulated in the Strategic Partnership signed by President Chirac in Delhi in 1998. The contacts are based on mutual trust and a common vision of the world.
On May 15, Emmanuel Macron officially took over from President Hollande and the same day, he paid the traditional visit to the German Chancellor in Berlin; both leaders spoke of the importance of France–Germany relations for the European Union.
Between his investiture and his triumph in the legislative elections, the French President met the US President and hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at the historic Palace of Versailles. Macron’s firm dealing in international issues could be seen for the first time, a radical change from the mild approach of his predecessor, the unpopular Francois Hollande.
On June 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a short visit to Paris to congratulate and acquaint himself with the new French President. The talks were mainly centered around the Paris Conference on Environment as President Donald Trump had just announced that the US was withdrawing from the Paris Accord.
The talks with the Indian Prime Minister at the Elysee Palace lasted two hours. It was more than an ice-breaking exercise as the Indian Prime Minister had especially come back from Moscow to meet Macron.
Speaking after the talks, Modi declared that the Paris climate deal reflects "our duty towards protecting the Mother Earth and our natural resources. For us, protection of environment is an article of faith."
In this short time, something ‘passed’ between the two men, laying a firmer basis for future relations.
During the second week of December, President Macron will pay his maiden visit to India. Apart from the Solar Alliance in which both countries have invested energies and resources, the project of Smart Cities, dear to Mr Modi, will be discussed and taken forward. France has already adopted three cities, Chandigarh, French Architect Le Corbusier’s township, Nagpur and Puducherry.
Macron’s visit is perhaps the opportunity to go a step further.
On July 13, a day before Bastille Day, during a press conference jointly addressed by the French President and the German Chancellor in Paris, the two nations announced their intention to cooperate for the development of a future combat aircraft, which could one day replace the Rafale of Dassault Aviations and the Eurofighter/Typhoon. Mr Macron spoke of ‘road maps’ for joint investment opportunities in 18 areas, including a fifth-generation fighter plane.
Mr Macron said: “It is a deep revolution — but we are not scared of revolutions when they are conducted in peaceful manner.”
The French President sees this venture as part of a broader integration of several European partners for the development, deployment and export of combat equipment.
Airbus Defence and Space, which works on the Eurofighter, welcomed the announcement “to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet”. A communiqué added: “Strengthening the Franco-German axis will help to safeguard critically needed European defence capabilities in the future.”
Soon after the World War II, a man had a revolutionary proposal: to unite the enemies of yesterday, France and Germany, by bringing them to work together. Jean Monnet, the father of Europe wrote: “the course of events must be altered. To do this, men’s attitudes must be changed. Words are not enough.” Monnet thought that since both Germany and France had to rebuild their industry, it was bound to revive the old rivalry. Monnet’s idea was to reverse the problem — what had been the seed of war must become the seed of unity — his proposal was therefore to create a high authority which could manage the resources in coal and steel for both nations. This was hhe embryo of the European Economic Community (EEC) and later the European Union.
Monet was a visionary; the world will be lead by multi-nation collaboration in the future. Take the example of the UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) developed by Dassault Aviation of France as the prime contractor, as demonstrated this. The nEUROn drone project perfectly reflects the original European ‘spirit’ though ironically, Germany is not directly associated. Six European countries have decided to build an UCAV as a technology demonstrator.
This European programme has been designed to pool the skills and know-how of Alenia Aermacchi (Italy), Saab (Sweden), EADS-CASA (Spain), HAI (Greece), RUAG (Switzerland) and Thales (France) to produce the drone of the future.
With a length of 10 metres, a wingspan of 12.5 metres and an empty weight of five tonnes, the aircraft is powered by a Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour engine.
It was French President Jacques Chirac who unveiled the Dassault-led nEUROn project in June 2005; the project crossed a major milestone on December 2012 when the UCAV had its first successful flight from Istres airbase, near Marseille in South France.
Dassault Aviation is the master builder, responsible for the overall architecture and design, flight control system, global testing (static and flight), elements of stealth, final assembly, integration of systems and testing.
NEUROn is undoubtedly an extraordinary technological challenge for the European companies involved.
Why could not India be involved in such like high-tech projects with France (and also the EU)?
Let us come back to the development of a fifth-generation combat aircraft. India has tried to work with the Russians. The project is not doing well.
Franz-Stefan Gady wrote in The Diplomat: “India, Russia 5th Generation Fighter Jet Deal is Lost”: “The transfer of sensitive defence technology from Russia to India has been one of the most contentious issues between the two sides right from the start.”
Gady commented: “India wants a guarantee that it will be able to upgrade the fighter jet in the future without Russian support, which would require Moscow sharing source codes (sensitive computer code that controls the fighter jet’s various systems — the key to an aircraft’s electronic brains).”
Delays are said to have been caused because New Delhi and Moscow disagree on many fundamental aspects such as work and cost share, aircraft technology or numbers of aircraft to be ordered by India.
Though presently theoretical, a question, could be raised, why can’t India join the Germano-French project? While Europe may not require hundreds of fifth generation aircrafts in the decades to come, India will need hundreds of planes, having to cope with two fronts.
Mr Modi has developed an excellent rapport with Mr Macron and Ms Merkel; it would make economic and strategic sense for India to partner Europe. It could be good for the European industries as well, as they would get crucial financial support and a market.
It is worth thinking about such a far-away possibility; it could be a win-win deal for India too as Delhi would be involved in the project from the conception.

Invest in the aircraft of tomorrow

The Forth Generation Rafale M

My article Invest in the aircraft of tomorrow appeared yesterday in The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle
Here is the link...

Mr Modi has developed a rapport with Mr Macron and Ms Merkel; it would make economic and strategic sense for India to partner Europe.

On July 13, a day before Bastille Day, during a press conference jointly addressed by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris, the two nations announced their intention to cooperate for the development of a future combat aircraft, which could one day replace the Rafale of Dassault Aviations and the Eurofighter/Typhoon.
Mr Macron asserted that “road maps” and joint investment opportunities in 18 areas were discussed with Ms Merkel; it included a fifth-generation fighter plane.
The young French President added that this would help reduce duplication and enable the European nations to more effectively pursue export opportunities.
Apart from the fighter plane, European nations have agreed to further develop the Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack rotorcraft and complete work on a medium-altitude, long-endurance “Eurodrone” unmanned vehicle as well as military satellites.
Mr Macron said: “It is a deep revolution — but we are not scared of revolutions when they are conducted in peaceful manner.”
According to Flight Global, the French President described the venture as part of a broader integration of several European partners for the development, deployment and export of combat equipment.
Airbus Defence and Space, which works on the Eurofighter, welcomed the announcement “to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet”. A communiqué added: “Strengthening the Franco-German axis will help to safeguard critically needed European defence capabilities in the future.”
On June 9, Fernando Alonso, the head of Airbus Group’s military aircraft division had affirmed: “We have to do this in Europe. There’s no place to do two or three different systems.”
It would not be the first time that Europeans try to collaborate in the field of defence R&D and production, though the outcome has not always been up to the mark.
Soon after the World War II, a man had a revolutionary proposal: to unite the enemies of yesterday, France and Germany, by bringing them to work together. Jean Monnet, the father of Europe wrote: “the course of events must be altered. To do this, men’s attitudes must be changed. Words are not enough.” Monnet thought that since Germany and France had to rebuild their industry, it was bound to revive the old rivalry. Monnet’s idea was to reverse the problem — what had been the seed of war must become the seed of unity — his proposal was therefore to create a high authority which could manage the resources in coal and steel for both nations. This was the birth of the European Coal and Steel Community, the embryo of the European Economic Community (EEC) and later the European Union.
But it is not always easy. Francisco Duarte in The Inquisitr quotes the case of the joint design for the main battle tank for the France and German armies in 1957. He says: “After some years of development and construction of opposing prototypes, one of the German proposals was chosen. Even before the decision was taken, relations started to go sour with other Nato partners, which, among other developments, meant a split in the project for a European tank. The Germans would eventually create the Leopard 1, while the French pursued their own concepts, leading to the unveiling of the AMX-30.”
Hopefully it will be different this time. More recently, we have the example of the UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) developed by Dassault Aviation of France as the prime contractor.
The nEUROn European drone project perfectly reflects the original European “spirit” though ironically, Germany is not directly associated. Six European countries have decided to build an UCAV as a technology demonstrator.
This European programme has been designed to pool the skills and know-how of Alenia Aermacchi (Italy), Saab (Sweden), EADS-CASA (Spain), HAI (Greece), RUAG (Switzerland) and Thales (France) to produce the drone of the future.
With a length of 10 metres, a wingspan of 12.5 metres and an empty weight of five tonnes, the aircraft is powered by a Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour engine.
It was French President Jacques Chirac who unveiled the Dassault-led nEUROn project in June 2005; it marked the beginning of the six-nation research programme to build a technical demonstrator.
The project crossed a major milestone on December 2012 when the UCAV had its first successful flight from Istres airbase, near Marseille in South France.
Flight trials in France to evaluate its stealth characteristics were successfully completed in March 2015. It was followed by sensor evaluation trials in Italy, which were completed on August 2015. In July 2016, extensive stealth and detection tests were conducted with the nEUROn and the Charles de Gaulle carrier group.
In November 2014, a two-year feasibility study was started by the French and British governments. It could lead to a programme combining the experience of the BAE Systems Taranis and nEUROn programs into a Future Combat Air System.
One of the most interesting aspects of the project is the close collaboration between different European partners.
Monnet had prophesied: “Europe will be built through concrete realisations, creating at first a de facto solidarity.” For him, it was essential to “develop habits of cooperation among nations which had so far only known relationships based on power”.
Dassault Aviation is the master builder, responsible for the overall architecture and design, flight control system, global testing (static and flight), elements of stealth, final assembly, integration of systems and testing.
NEUROn is undoubtedly an extraordinary technological challenge for the European companies involved.
But let us come back to the development of a fifth-generation combat aircraft. India has tried to work with the Russians. The project is not doing well.
Franz-Stefan Gady wrote in the Diplomat an article entitled: “India, Russia 5th Generation Fighter Jet Deal is Lost”: “The transfer of sensitive defence technology from Russia to India has been one of the most contentious issues between the two sides right from the start.”
Gady commented: “India wants a guarantee that it will be able to upgrade the fighter jet in the future without Russian support, which would require Moscow sharing source codes (sensitive computer code that controls the fighter jet’s various systems — the key to an aircraft’s electronic brains).”
Recently, Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of Rostec, the Russian state corporation which develops and promotes hi-tech defence and civilian products worldwide refused to speak about the future aircraft, which was not mentioned in the Saint Petersburg Declaration (“A vision for the 21st century”), when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia in early June.
Delays are said to have been caused because New Delhi and Moscow disagree on over many fundamental aspects such as work and cost share, aircraft technology or numbers of aircraft to be ordered by India.
A question, though presently theoretical, could be raised, why can’t India join the European project? Europe will require a market for its fifth generation aircraft; in the coming decades, India will need hundreds of planes, having to cope with two fronts.
Mr Modi has developed an excellent rapport with Mr Macron and Ms Merkel; it would make economic and strategic sense for India to partner Europe. It could be good for the European industries as well, as they would get crucial financial support and a market.
It is worth thinking about such far-away possibility; it could be a win-win deal for India too as Delhi would be involved in the project from the conception.

Claude Arpi
The writer is based in South India for the past 40 years. He writes on India, China, Tibet and Indo-French relations.
http://www.asianage.com/opinion/oped/290717/invest-in-the-aircraft-of-tomorrow.html
Mr Modi has developed a rapport with Mr Macron and Ms Merkel; it would make economic and strategic sense for India to partner Europe.
Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft (Photo: Youtube screengrab)
On July 13, a day before Bastille Day, during a press conference jointly addressed by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris, the two nations announced their intention to cooperate for the development of a future combat aircraft, which could one day replace the Rafale of Dassault Aviations and the Eurofighter/Typhoon.
Mr Macron asserted that “road maps” and joint investment opportunities in 18 areas were discussed with Ms Merkel; it included a fifth-generation fighter plane.
The young French President added that this would help reduce duplication and enable the European nations to more effectively pursue export opportunities.
Apart from the fighter plane, European nations have agreed to further develop the Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack rotorcraft and complete work on a medium-altitude, long-endurance “Eurodrone” unmanned vehicle as well as military satellites.
Mr Macron said: “It is a deep revolution — but we are not scared of revolutions when they are conducted in peaceful manner.”
According to Flight Global, the French President described the venture as part of a broader integration of several European partners for the development, deployment and export of combat equipment.
Airbus Defence and Space, which works on the Eurofighter, welcomed the announcement “to jointly develop a next-generation fighter jet”. A communiqué added: “Strengthening the Franco-German axis will help to safeguard critically needed European defence capabilities in the future.”
On June 9, Fernando Alonso, the head of Airbus Group’s military aircraft division had affirmed: “We have to do this in Europe. There’s no place to do two or three different systems.”
It would not be the first time that Europeans try to collaborate in the field of defence R&D and production, though the outcome has not always been up to the mark.
Soon after the World War II, a man had a revolutionary proposal: to unite the enemies of yesterday, France and Germany, by bringing them to work together. Jean Monnet, the father of Europe wrote: “the course of events must be altered. To do this, men’s attitudes must be changed. Words are not enough.” Monnet thought that since Germany and France had to rebuild their industry, it was bound to revive the old rivalry. Monnet’s idea was to reverse the problem — what had been the seed of war must become the seed of unity — his proposal was therefore to create a high authority which could manage the resources in coal and steel for both nations. This was the birth of the European Coal and Steel Community, the embryo of the European Economic Community (EEC) and later the European Union.
But it is not always easy. Francisco Duarte in The Inquisitr quotes the case of the joint design for the main battle tank for the France and German armies in 1957. He says: “After some years of development and construction of opposing prototypes, one of the German proposals was chosen. Even before the decision was taken, relations started to go sour with other Nato partners, which, among other developments, meant a split in the project for a European tank. The Germans would eventually create the Leopard 1, while the French pursued their own concepts, leading to the unveiling of the AMX-30.”
Hopefully it will be different this time. More recently, we have the example of the UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) developed by Dassault Aviation of France as the prime contractor.
The nEUROn European drone project perfectly reflects the original European “spirit” though ironically, Germany is not directly associated. Six European countries have decided to build an UCAV as a technology demonstrator.
This European programme has been designed to pool the skills and know-how of Alenia Aermacchi (Italy), Saab (Sweden), EADS-CASA (Spain), HAI (Greece), RUAG (Switzerland) and Thales (France) to produce the drone of the future.
With a length of 10 metres, a wingspan of 12.5 metres and an empty weight of five tonnes, the aircraft is powered by a Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour engine.
It was French President Jacques Chirac who unveiled the Dassault-led nEUROn project in June 2005; it marked the beginning of the six-nation research programme to build a technical demonstrator.
The project crossed a major milestone on December 2012 when the UCAV had its first successful flight from Istres airbase, near Marseille in South France.
Flight trials in France to evaluate its stealth characteristics were successfully completed in March 2015. It was followed by sensor evaluation trials in Italy, which were completed on August 2015. In July 2016, extensive stealth and detection tests were conducted with the nEUROn and the Charles de Gaulle carrier group.
In November 2014, a two-year feasibility study was started by the French and British governments. It could lead to a programme combining the experience of the BAE Systems Taranis and nEUROn programs into a Future Combat Air System.
One of the most interesting aspects of the project is the close collaboration between different European partners.
Monnet had prophesied: “Europe will be built through concrete realisations, creating at first a de facto solidarity.” For him, it was essential to “develop habits of cooperation among nations which had so far only known relationships based on power”.
Dassault Aviation is the master builder, responsible for the overall architecture and design, flight control system, global testing (static and flight), elements of stealth, final assembly, integration of systems and testing.
NEUROn is undoubtedly an extraordinary technological challenge for the European companies involved.
But let us come back to the development of a fifth-generation combat aircraft. India has tried to work with the Russians. The project is not doing well.
Franz-Stefan Gady wrote in the Diplomat an article entitled: “India, Russia 5th Generation Fighter Jet Deal is Lost”: “The transfer of sensitive defence technology from Russia to India has been one of the most contentious issues between the two sides right from the start.”
Gady commented: “India wants a guarantee that it will be able to upgrade the fighter jet in the future without Russian support, which would require Moscow sharing source codes (sensitive computer code that controls the fighter jet’s various systems — the key to an aircraft’s electronic brains).”
Recently, Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of Rostec, the Russian state corporation which develops and promotes hi-tech defence and civilian products worldwide refused to speak about the future aircraft, which was not mentioned in the Saint Petersburg Declaration (“A vision for the 21st century”), when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia in early June.
Delays are said to have been caused because New Delhi and Moscow disagree on over many fundamental aspects such as work and cost share, aircraft technology or numbers of aircraft to be ordered by India.
A question, though presently theoretical, could be raised, why can’t India join the European project? Europe will require a market for its fifth generation aircraft; in the coming decades, India will need hundreds of planes, having to cope with two fronts.
Mr Modi has developed an excellent rapport with Mr Macron and Ms Merkel; it would make economic and strategic sense for India to partner Europe. It could be good for the European industries as well, as they would get crucial financial support and a market.
It is worth thinking about such far-away possibility; it could be a win-win deal for India too as Delhi would be involved in the project from the conception.

The big deal

My article on the Rafale (The Big Deal) appeared in The Statesman on February 8.
Click here to read.

For a European Plane

The British government and David Cameron in particular are obviously unhappy with the choice of the Indian Government for the Rafale fighter plane.
A few days before the closure of the bid (December 31, 2011) for the 10 billion dollar contract to purchase new generation fighters for the Indian Air Force, Cameron and three of his colleagues from Germany, Italy and Spain had jointly written a confidential letter to Dr Manmohan Singh praising  the Eurofighter.
David Cameron, Angela Merkel, along with the Italian and Spanish Prime Ministers affirmed that the EADS' Eurofighter is an "excellent aircraft that stands on its own merit". 
The letter welcomed India as the "fifth partner country" to jointly develop the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), in the event of Eurofighter being chosen. The four PMs have also reaffirmed the "security of supply" in the case the Eurofighter Typhoon is chosen.
It was probably too late as the Rafale was cheaper that its European rival.
More interestingly, the United States continue to bid for their F-35 (fifth generation) plane. 
Here the situation was more tricky as the Lockheed Martin F-35 was not part of the original bid. I reproduce here a posting (translated by me) on a French blog Secret Defence maintained by the well-known French journalist and defense expert Jean-Dominique Merchet. The posting, dated December 21, 2011 shows another side of the coin, different from the US propaganda. 

Japan announced this week that it has selected the F-35A as its future fighter aircraft. The plane of Lockheed Martin was competing with the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet of Boeing and Eurofighter-Typhoon of EADS. The Rafale was not involved in this competition.

What to think of the Japanese choice?
The purchase of a fighter aircraft is an inherently political act; the manufacturing, financial and military considerations, though important, are not decisive factors. And once the political decision is taken, it is dressed up with all sorts of technical, more or less credible justifications.
What did Japan wanted?
Two things: an air-superior aircraft and the development of its own aviation industry. He gets neither one, nor the other.
Japan is located in a region where the prospect of a high intensity war has not disappeared. China continues to develop its armed forces and its Air Force. The two Koreas (which maintain complex relations with Tokyo) and are close by, so is Russia which, let us not forget, has a border  as well as a territorial dispute with Japan (Kuril Islands). Under these circumstances, Japan needs an air-superior aircraft, that is to say a fighter plane optimized for air-air combat when facing serious threats. That's why Japan wanted to acquire the formidable US F-22, an expensive device, but designed for this unique mission. Las! The Americans have refused to sell it and stopped the production line.
The F-18 Super Hornet (the latest version of F-18) is a very good fighter plane, moreover multi-role: it is used by the US Navy for the protection of its most valuable asset: its aircraft carriers. As for the Eurofighter Typhoon, if not an exceptional aircraft, but it was specifically designed for air-air mission. It was therefore a serious candidate.
Finally, the Japanese will buy the F-35 ...which is an aircraft designed for ground attack. Of course, stealth and electronic systems will help operate the aircraft in very hostile conditions, but then it does not make it a fighter plane, there is a serious gap - especially if it is has tomorrow (in fifteen years!) to intercept aircraft like Su T-50. Moreover, the USAF as the RAF have planes for the two usages: for ground attack, the F-35 and an interceptor (F-22 or Eurofighter in this case) for air superiority.
If the F-35 was so versatile, we could have expected that the USAF would have shown the example [and used it]...
Japan also wanted to further develop its own aviation industry - a strategic choice for this country. The F-4 Phantom and F-15 aircrafts used by Japan were built under license in Japan. A local version of the F-16, named the F-2, has also been produced. It is not just the question of running factories, but also to acquire skills.

As for Germany after 1945, Japan lost its know-how: it wanted to regain it. With the Eurofighter, EADS offered access to all of information industry and aircraft construction in Japan itself. Boeing's proposal, with the Super-Hornet, was less generous, but still very attractive. It is not the case with the F-35: only 40% of the aircraft will be produced on site and access to sensitive information on the combat systems (source code) or stealth will remain limited.
So why to buy 42 F-35A? The Japanese government ‘seriously’ says that is the program is cheaper! A joke when you consider that members of Congress and all the experts are tearing their hair in front of the financial drifts of the program, already the world's most expensive. The overall cost of the acquisition and twenty years of running the plane would cost between 5 to 6 billion Euros.

For an airplane which is still not in service! The US Air Force speaks of an initial operational capability (that is to say, not very much) in 2018...
The F-35 turns out to be what it is: an air-superior aircraft of a particular kind. Let me explain: if, before it entered service, its capacity to destroy fighter planes in flight remains to be demonstrated, the program will have destroyed much of the military aircraft industry in the world in the field they hold most precious: their ability to design a fighter plane.
They will keep the workshops and factories, no doubt. But they have lost the rest; only the United States will retain the essential ...by forcing its allies to share the costs! Nice victory.
It just happens that Japan - which has lost the war in 1945 and is located in a region of the world is not out of the cold war - has no choice. Few countries, including France, who still have the capacity [to design a fighter plane] would do well to think about this.  

The moral of the story is that EADS and Dassault should club their energy and resources to develop the next generation aircraft. Ditto for drones. But are the heads of the different European States wise enough to take such a bold decision?
In view of the recent spats between Sarkozy and Cameron, it is doubtful.
India has wisely chosen to jointly work with Russia to develop the Sukhoi T-50. Joint development is the solution of the future.

Fighter punch stuns Britain
Cameron calls IAF move ‘disappointing’, keeps hope alive
AMIT ROY AND ARCHIS MOHAN
The Times
London/New Delhi, Feb. 1:
Rarely before have India’s shopping preferences stirred such hand-wringing in Britain.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron today expressed “disappointment” at the possibility of losing the deal from the Indian Air Force which has zeroed in on the French Rafale for placing the world’s biggest order for fighter planes.
Cameron, who had spared no effort to lobby hard for the job-generating order in the middle of a downturn, appeared to be keeping his hopes alive as the French deal has not yet been inked.
“Of course, I will do everything I can — as I have already — to encourage the Indians to look at Typhoon, because I think it is such a good aircraft…. They have not yet awarded the contract,” Cameron told MPs today. Britain’s BAE has a 33 per cent stake in the four-nation consortium building the Eurofighter Typhoon.
During Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons, Cameron added that the Typhoon was a “superb aircraft, far better than Rafale”.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected in London “within weeks”. So, the two Prime Ministers will have a great deal to discuss — there is the feeling in London that the UK is putting more into its relationship with India than the other way round. British pride — or at least British tabloid pride — is hurt. UK’s Mail Online noted: “Well that’s gratitude! We give India a £1bn in aid, THEY snub the UK and give France a £13bn jet contract.”
The IAF decision is a personal embarrassment for Cameron, who made growing trade with India a key foreign policy issue. He chose India for his first prominent foreign tour as Prime Minister in July 2010, taking six cabinet ministers and 39 business leaders, including BAE representatives.
Although Cameron said that “we do not expect any job losses stemming from this decision”, British ministers had said the programme could help over 200 local companies in the supply chain while supporting up to 5,000 jobs.
One silver-lining is that EADS, the Eurofighter consortium, holds over 46 per cent stake in Rafale-maker Dassault Aviation. If Dassault does well, the consortium also gets to share the profit pie.
The French bid was cheaper but analysts said political backing had been the key to victory. French President Nicolas Sarkozy described the decision as a vote of confidence in “the entire French economy”, just 48 hours after he declared that Britain had no manufacturing sector to speak of.
Barry Gardiner, Labour MP and chairperson of Labour Friends of India, used language less temperate than Cameron’s. “I have today called for major reforms to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), after the UK-based BAE Systems lost the contract,” he said. “The loss of the Eurofighter contracts is another major blow to British industry, and comes at the worst possible time.”
“Today I have called for radical reform of the Indian high commission’s role in promoting UK-India trade…. India House has now been without a high commissioner for seven months, something that would be inconceivable in Beijing or Washington. This demonstrates that the ministry for external affairs in Delhi no longer sees the UK as strategically vital to India’s interests,” said Gardiner.
J. Bhagwati, India’s ambassador in Brussels, has been appointed high commissioner to the UK and is expected to take up the new job this month.
“Suffice it to say that the views and perspectives of the high commission are rather different from those expressed by Mr. Gardiner,” responded a high commission spokesperson.
Reports from the other Typhoon consortium members — Italy, Spain and Germany — suggested they have not given up. Germany’s Spiegel Online said the “deal could ultimately collapse — (for) in the past, all other talks to sell Dassault’s Rafale aircraft abroad have failed.”
If the scramble turns dirty, it won’t be long before mutterings of bribes and honey traps surface.
WITH A REPORT FROM THE TIMES, LONDON