Russia To Pay $2Billion For French Mistral Warships

Russia will pay France 1.37 billion euros ($1.81 billion) for two Mistral-class assault warships that Moscow agreed to purchase from the NATO member last week, news reports said Dec. 30.

“The first ship will cost 720 million euros and the second 650 million euros,” the RIA Novosti news agencies cited a source close to the negotiations as saying.

The deal, which involves joint construction of the vessels, is the first sale to Russia of such naval high-tech by a NATO country.

It has been condemned by Alliance members from the three Baltic nations, with leaked cables showing that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also raised the issue while on a visit to Paris this year.

The helicopter carrier costs about 500 million euros ($650 million) and it was not immediately clear why Russia was paying a premium.

Moscow had sought to purchase the craft together with their sensitive equipment and the December 24 announcement in Paris made no mention of whether Russia had got its way.

The source close to the negotiation said Moscow was paying a higher price for the first craft because most of it would be produced in France, with Russia’s share in the project growing by the second vessel.

“If Russia’s share of construction on the first ship is 20 percent, it may reach up to 40 percent for the second ship,” the source told RIA Novosti.

The source said the third and fourth ships would be fully manufactured in Russia as per agreement, but gave no time frame of when the craft would be built.

A Mistral-class ship can carry up to 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 13 battle tanks, around 100 other vehicles and a 450-strong force. It has facilities for a full command staff and is equipped with a 69-bed hospital.

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DAE & Dassault Join Forces To Develop New Unmanned Aircraft System

UK-based BAE Systems and French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation are to jointly develop a new medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft system to be offered to the military in France and the UK.

The signing of a memorandum of understanding follows an agreement between the UK and French governments in November 2010 to collaborate on the next-generation MALE UAS to meet the requirements of both countries.

BAE and Dassault will collaborate exclusively on the preparation and submission of a joint proposal to the UK and French ministries of defence for the design, development, production and support of the MALE UAS.

The two companies have already completed a feasibility study for the project that will feed into the joint proposal.

Kevin Taylor, managing director Military Air & Information at BAE Systems says: "A successful BAE Systems/Dassault Aviation solution will ensure that the UK and France maintain their status as leading providers of aerospace capability.

"It will also ensure that both countries get the best return on the investment they have made in state-of-the-art technologies and UAS.

We have a strong team in place that is ready to develop the future frontline UAS capability required by both the UK and France."

Eric Trappier, executive vice-president international at Dassault, says that the skills of both companies will allow them to provide a cost-effective system "to meet both countries' military requirements to schedule and within the budgetary constraints under which both governments will operate in future".

He adds: "We look forward to a swift development go-ahead decision from the two governments soon."

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India To Sign $2.4bn Mirage Upgrade Deal With France

India is really cranking up military aviation contracts. Even as the $4.1 billion deal for 10 American C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft awaits the final nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), another major contract is now headed that way. 

Defence ministry sources on Wednesday said the long-awaited deal with France for the upgrade of 52 Mirage-2000 multi-role fighters in IAF's combat fleet is "finally ready" at a cost of almost Rs 11,000 crore ($2.4 billion).

"This is also now going to CCS for approval. Another big contract, which was being progressed simultaneously, for around 450 MICA (interception and aerial combat missiles) systems to arm the upgraded Mirages is also in the final stages now," said a source.

This comes after long-drawn negotiations with French companies Dassault Aviation (aircraft manufacturer), Thales (weapons systems integrator) and MBDA (missile supplier), which were "initially asking for much more", said sources.

Under the contract, the first four to six Mirages will be upgraded in France, while the rest will be retrofitted in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) with transfer of technology from the French companies.

This means the overall Mirage upgrade package, including the fire-and-forget MICA missiles and the infrastructure build-up at HAL, will eventually cross the Rs 15,000-crore mark.

It obviously raises questions whether it would be more prudent to simply buy new fighters rather than upgrade older ones at such a huge cost. IAF, however, argues the "retrofitted" Mirages -- with new avionics, radars, mission computers, glass cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic warfare suites, weapon delivery and precision-targeting systems -- would remain "top-notch fighters" for almost two decades more.

With a depleting number of fighter squadrons (each has 16 to 18 jets), down to just 32 from a `sanctioned strength' of 39.5, IAF is going for a mix of upgrades and new inductions to stem its fast-eroding combat edge over even Pakistan.

There is, for instance, the ongoing upgrade of 63 MiG-29s under a $964 million deal inked with Russia in March 2008. Then, India is also progressively inducting the 272 Sukhoi-30MKIs contracted from Russia for around $12 billion. Moreover, the first lot of the around 120 indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft will begin joining the force from end-2013 onwards.

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Russia To Buy Two French Mistral-Class Warships

Russia has confirmed that it will buy at least two Mistral-class warships from a French-led consortium.

Correspondents say the sale will be the first to Russia by a Nato country of such sophisticated naval equipment.

The prospect of a deal has raised concerns among France's Nato allies.

The deal was originally agreed in July but stalled a month later over how much technology France was prepared to share, and the order was put out to international tender.

The Russian and French authorities said Moscow had chosen the consortium of France's DCNS and STX and Russian naval yard OSK, although shipbuilders in Spain and the Netherlands had also been looked at.

"Their offer initially covers the joint construction of two of this kind of vessel, which should be extended by the construction of two more," French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said in a statement.

Mistral-class amphibious assault ships can carry up to 16 helicopters, four landing craft and a 750-strong landing force, and is equipped with a 69-bed hospital.

The deal has caused unease in other Nato countries, especially the United States, as well as some of Russia's immediate neighbours and the Baltic states.

In February a US official told reporters the US "had questions" for France about the order.

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Chinese Aerospace Manufacturer Opens Europe Office In Paris

Chinese Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China Ltd. (Comac) on Sunday set up its European office in Paris, the second overseas branch after its U.S. office, marking a new step for China's aviation industry in opening-up and international exchanges.

"The establishment of Comac Europe office is very significant. It represents the strategic cooperation between China and France and will deepen the two sides' collaboration in aerospace and all areas concerned," Chinese Ambassador Kong Quan said at an opening ceremony, citing Europe's influence in global aerospace industry and civil aviation market.

"Taking self-dependent innovation as the strategic cornerstone, Comac meanwhile actively conducts international cooperation and draws upon advanced technologies and experience in global civil aviation industry...," Comac President Jin Zhuanglong said.

The Chinese aerospace manufacturer has built up cooperative relationship and partnership with dozens of enterprises and institutions in many countries and regions since its establishment in May 2008 in Shanghai.

Regional jet ARJ21 and the trunkliner C919 are two flagship products of the young Chinese company. The group is now working to achieve certification and delivery of ARJ21-700 aircraft by the end of this year, Jin said.

With regard to China's C919 trunkliner program, Jin said COMAC has signed cooperation agreements with 17 international companies in the United States and Europe, and has actively explored collaboration with GECAS, British Airways and Ryanair.

"In the context that the world economy is on recovery from the financial crisis, the civil aviation industry is facing great challenge. We are willing to keep close contact with all relevant public administrations and forge friendly relations and cooperation with overseas suppliers to contribute to the development of world civil aviation industry," Jin said.

For the French State Secretary for Transport Thierry Marianne, who also attended the opening ceremony, the Chinese aviation market has great potential in the years to come, and China is estimated to need 3,000 new planes.

"We have understood that China had decided to build its own aerospace industry. It is a legitimate choice," Marianne said.

A demo mock-up of the full-scale forward fuselage of C919 will be displayed during the 49th Paris Air Show on June 20-26, which will be the first time that the 1:1 demo mock-up is to be showcased at an international stage outside China, Jin told Xinhua.

During the air show, Comac is going to sign agreements with an international airline and an airborne-system supplier and carry out a series of activities concerning international cooperation and exchanges, according to the group.

Source: 

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-06/20/c_13938396.htm

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France And India Look To Deepen Defence Ties

The Indian government's long-delayed green light to French defence majors Dassault and Thales to undertake the Mirage-2000 combat fighter upgrade is yet another indicator of New Delhi forging stronger strategic links with Paris.

Over the last decade, French defence vendors have bagged, or are the leading contenders to win a number lucrative Indian arms contracts, including the $11-billion medium, multi-role combat aircraft tender for 126 aircrafts for the Indian Air Force, and the estimated $2.4-billion Mirage-2000 upgrade.

"We have always had a long-standing relationship with France, and a lot of goodwill was created after the 1998 nuclear tests at Pokhran. The current relationship is not really a new synergy that is being created, but is a continuation of past ties," Kanwal Sibal, former Indian foreign secretary said.


Defence analysts point out that both countries are now looking to enhance their bi-lateral relationship to a more robust strategic partnership, a development that could see the European powerhouse rival the United States as India's defence partner of choice.

"It is a question of having a basket of choices. If one does a cost-benefit analysis on a subjective term, France is a major player, since their technology is at par with anything being offered by the United States. India has to extract the maximum mileage out of what is being offered by France," Deba Ranjan Mohanty, senior fellow with the New Delhi-based think tank, Observer Research Foundation said.

While Indo-US strategic ties have grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade, they have also been marred by a number of misgivings, including the latter's relationship with Pakistan, transfer of critical technology and the reluctance of India's armed forces in signing a number of strategic agreements such as CISMOA, BECA and LSA.

The French, however, have assured India of complete co-operation with regard to transfer of technology. Aviation major Dassault has claimed that the Rafale, one of the contenders for the MMRCA tender, is not subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations restrictions, thereby giving it a huge advantage over its rivals.

Separately, the Nicolas Sarkozy's government has also cleared full technology transfer of the Rafale to India, and has also agreed to transfer software source codes, which will allow India to re-programme radars and other sensitive equipment.

However, the effectiveness of the promises are yet to be tested.


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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/france-and-india-look-to-deepen-defence-ties/articleshow/9281864.cms

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Mirage combat jet upgrade contract signed for $2.4 bn

India Friday signed a $2.4 billion contract with two French defence firms for upgrading its 51 Mirage combat jets that were acquired in the 1980s.

"Thales and Dassault Aviation today signed a contract for the upgrade of the Indian Air Force's Mirage-2000 fleet," a press release from the two French companies said Friday.

A spokesperson for the two companies here said it was a "commercial contract" between the firms and the Indian government.

The Indian defence ministry also confirmed the deal, which the cabinet committee on security had approved a fortnight ago.

"Based on the integration of latest generation equipment and systems, the upgrade will further enhance the technical-operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000. The aircraft represents a long tradition of cooperation with French military aviation, initiated 50 years ago," the release from two firms said.

The contract comes even as India's defence ministry and the Indian Air Force top brass remained split over the high cost of upgrading the Mirage-2000 aircraft and the likely benefits to the country's future air power needs.
Taking into account $1 billion for new weapons and another $500 million for new facilities at Bangalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the upgrade, the cost could rise to close to $4 billion, according to government sources.


Thus, the cost of the upgrade may work out to $79 million per aircraft, which, the opponents of the deal contend, is the same as that of the 126 fighters that India is buying under the $10.4 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender.

Those supporting the deal argue that once upgraded, the aircraft will be as potent as a new combat plane.


Among the upgrades planned for Mirage-2000 are a night vision goggle-compatible glass cockpit, advanced navigational systems, advanced Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system, advanced multi-mode multi-layered radar, fully integrated electronic warfare suite and advanced beyond visual range (BVR) capability.

The new weapons include 450 MICA interception and aerial combat missiles.


Thales and another French firm, MBDA, will be the weapons systems integrator and missiles supplier respectively.

Two of the planes will be upgraded in France by manufacturer Dassault Aviation, two in India with French help and the remaining 48 entirely by HAL. The upgrade of the entire fleet will take nine years.

The IAF inducted the Mirage-2000 between 1982 and 1986. 

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http://www.dailypioneer.com/356825/Mirage-combat-jet-upgrade-contract-signed-for-$24-bn.html

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UK, France Refuted Reports Of Joint Use Of Carriers

On Sept 5 French and British defense ministers officially refuted previously emerged reports that France and the UK planned to use their aircraft carriers jointly, informs AFP.

Herve Morin and Liam Fox said that project was "absolutely unreal". At the same time, the ministers pointed out that in future the joint use of military transport aircrafts A400M would not improbable.

The information of possible co-operative use of three aircraft carriers was published in The Times on Sept 1. The question was British carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious, and French one Charles de Gaulle.
It was reported that France and the UK were about to keep carriers on station, increase combat readiness of their navies, and at the same time reduce expenses.

The parties allegedly planned to coordinate maintenance dates of aircraft carriers in such a way that at least one of them would permanently stand by when urgent reaction was needed. The Times also reported of special protocols regulating behavior of the parties while contingency situations – for instance, when during French patrol exclusively Britain's interests would be under threat and vice versa.

Numerous British experts criticized this initiative having noted that the UK was making itself subordinate to France what might be detrimental to Britain's interests. An undisclosed source in British defense ministry said to The Daily Mail that the UK might be at risk to plunge into a difficulty when deciding to deploy French carrier and France would oppose.

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