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The Rafale's long flight to India The selection of Dassault?s Rafale as India?s new MMRCA fighter was only the latest step in the Air Force?s long and painstaking process to pick itself a winner Ajai Shukla / February 11, 2012, 0:03 IST Long after the streets emptied that chilly winter evening in December 1981, lights were burning on the fifth floor of Vayu Bhavan in the elite Operations Branch of the Indian Air Force. Worrying the brightest thinkers of IAF was a brash new arrival in the subcontinental skies. The US had just announced the sale of 40 F-16 fighters...

Brazil "very likely" to choose French fighter jet: sources SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil is "very likely" to choose France's Rafale fighter jet to refurbish its air force, government sources say, a decision that would award one of the emerging-market world's most coveted defense contracts to a jet whose future was in doubt only two weeks ago. President Dilma Rousseff and her top advisers believe that Dassault Aviation's (AVMD.PA) bid to sell at least 36 Rafales offers the best terms among the three finalists, the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The other two bidders are Boeing's (BA.N) F-18...

Fighter deals intensify global aerial arms race * Lockheed buoyed by Japan, Dassault by India * Boeing, partners in Eurofighter also looking for wins * Opportunities eyed elsewhere in Asia, Middle East * Hunger for deals comes as Western defense budgets trimmed By Rhys Jones and Tim Hepher Feb 3 (Reuters) - Big decisions on warplane purchases by Japan and India have intensified competition in the multi-billion-dollar global market, with Western defense firms scrambling for orders in Asia and the Middle East as their home-country budgets shrivel. Growing international unease over China's military build-up and ongoing tensions between Iran and...

A scroll on the home page of the Times of India says that the French Rafale has beaten the Eurofighter for the 126 (and prolly many more) plane MMRCA deal.

S. Korea to buy 2 advanced spy planes from France SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to buy two advanced reconnaissance planes from France by 2015, to allow the military to intercept radio messages from of North Korea, a government source said Monday. The South's military will replace some of its aging spy planes with the militarized specialty version of "Falcon-2000" jet, produced by France's Dassault Aviation, to keep closer watch on North Korea, the source said on the condition of anonymity. "The military decided to introduce two Falcon-2000 reconnaissance planes to replace its old spy planes that...

France warns of end of Rafale fighter jet production PARIS: France warned on Wednesday that defence giant Dassault would halt production of its Rafale multirole fighter jet if it remains unable to sell any abroad. "If Dassault doesn't sell any Rafales abroad, the production line... will be stopped" once France has received the 180 aircraft it has ordered, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet told a small group of journalists including AFP. France considers the twin-motor delta-wing Rafale a state-of-the-art warplane but has struggled to find any foreign buyers to support the project that has so far cost over 40 billion euros...

UAE criticizes 'unworkable' French fighter bid By ADAM SCHRECK, AP Business Writer – 5 minutes ago DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — France's Dassault Aviation is seeking unacceptable terms for the sale of up to 60 Rafale fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, a senior Emirati military official said Wednesday, casting serious doubt on the future of the highly anticipated arms deal. The comments from the deputy supreme commander of the UAE's armed forces, Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, come just days after a different European defense consortium unexpectedly said it had been asked by the Emirati air...

#DXB11: Certain victory for Rafale turns uncertain So much for the rampant rumours (well, rampant throughout France anyway) that the UAE's long-delayed fighter contract was a done-deal for the Rafale. Everything we know about the United Arab Emirates fighter modernisation plans have turned upside down within the first 24h of the Dubai Air Show. Quick summary: Dassault Rafale still in, Saab Gripen still out, Eurofighter Typhoon made a surprise entrance, Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60 is now lurking and Boeing throws F-15 Silent Eagle into the mix. And the UAE Air Force, meanwhile, confirmed it wants to buy a "next...

DUBAI: UAE issues shock Eurofighter Typhoon request By: Craig Hoyle Dubai France’s long-running campaign to sell up to 60 Dassault Rafales to the United Arab Emirates faces a shock last-minute challenge, with the Eurofighter consortium having been asked to submit a proposal based on its Typhoon combat aircraft. News of the development broke on the eve of the Dubai air show, where both types are scheduled to take part in the daily flying display. Sources have confirmed that the UK provided a formal briefing about the Typhoon to UAE officials on 17 October, after being asked to explore how it...

IN FOCUS: Middle East defence market keeps growing By: Stephen Trimble Washington DC A news conference by the elusive ministry of defence of the United Arab Emirates was announced unexpectedly on 18 November 2009. The Dubai air show was all but over, but now the MoD would meet with the press on the afternoon of 19 November. Until that moment it had appeared the air show - the most important aerospace industry event in the Middle East every other year - was a bust in terms of achieving clarity on several major defence orders. Entering the event, industry officials ­wondered...

India opens bids for combat planes India on Friday opened the commercial bids for the proposed deal to acquire 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft for the IAF Aman Malik, Elizabeth Roche & Tarun Shukla New Delhi: India on Friday opened the commercial bids for the proposed deal to acquire 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), but didn’t announce which vendor was lower on unit costs. Six vendors—Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. of the US, RSK MiG of Russia, Dassault Aviation SA of France, Saab AB of Sweden and European Aeronautic Defence and Space...

“Omnirole” Rafale Steals Lead Over Eurofighter Typhoon in Libyan Operations Our Bureau Tue, Nov 1, 2011 07:34 CET While NATO forces fielded the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon in the UN-mandated war against Gaddafi’s forces in Libya, details emerging from briefings by the U.K. and French air forces about the use of their respective fighters tell that the Rafale was the primary attack plane while the Eurofighter Typhoon provided intelligence through its targeting pods. With the Libyan hostilities over, the Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon face off one another in an estimated $11 billion tender for India’s Medium Multirole...

Dassault uses Libya war to boost Rafale Published: Sept. 20, 2011 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Dassault Aviation hopes to capitalize on France's participation with the United Arab Emirates in the air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi's crumbling regime in Libya to promote the sale of 60 Rafale multi-role jets to the Persian Gulf state. The leading French aircraft builder sent a team of executives to Abu Dhabi, the emirates' capital, Sept. 3 to kick start negotiations that have dragged on for three years. The deal is potentially worth $9 billion-$10 billion and Dassault is desperate to sign...

Will Lockheed's Rival Crash and Burn? By Rich Smith Investors know the saying: "Bulls make money, bears make money, but pigs get slaughtered." If you stumble onto a "good thing," don't get greedy -- take a fair profit. France's Dassault would be wise to heed that lesson. Yesterday, DefenseNews.com reported that Dassault has run into trouble in negotiations to sell the United Arab Emirates a fleet of Rafale fighter jets. The UAE wanted to purchase several dozen of the jets to replace its 63 French Mirage fighters. But a deal that was supposed to cost somewhere between $2.5 billion and...

France's Rafale fighter proves its 'omnirole' skills By Craig Hoyle France's Rafale fighter programme is midway through what could be a pivotal year in the Dassault type's potentially half-century service history. Already involved in NATO-led combat operations over Libya, the aircraft will return to frontline duty in Afghanistan inside the next two months. Its industrial backers are, meanwhile, edging seemingly closer to a long-awaited first export sale. One of three fighters now in production in western Europe, along with the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen, the Rafale has been in French military service since 2004, when it entered use with...

Rafale Upgrade Ready in 2012 (Source: defense-aerospace.com; posted June 6, 2011) By Giovanni de Briganti CAZAUX, France --- The French defense procurement agency, DGA, is carrying out the final development tests of an upgrade package for the Rafale combat aircraft, including an AESA radar and improved electronics, that should be ordered next year by the French ministry of defense. The package, designated F3 04T because it is an off-shoot of the aircraft’s latest F3 standard, also includes a new-generation Radar Warning Receiver (DDM-NG) and an improved version of the OSF (Optique Secteur Frontal) electro-optical sensor. Upgraded Rafales will also be...

Dassault aims to seal €8bn contract with UAE Ivan Gale Jun 2, 2011 Dassault Aviation hopes to seal a proposed order for 60 of its Rafale fighter jets with the UAE worth up to €8 billion (Dh42.34bn), despite reports claiming engine specifications were a major sticking point. The ongoing sales campaign is now in its third year of negotiations and has been one of the most closely watched aerospace developments in the Gulf, especially by rival fighter jet manufacturers in Europe and the US. Charles Edelstenne, the chairman and chief executive of Dassault Aviation, said he was "always hopeful" of...

Rafale in Combat: “War for Dummies” (Source: defense-aerospace.com; posted May 31, 2011) By Giovanni de Briganti Two French air force Rafales, a single-seater and a two-seater, refuel on their way to Libya. Both carry AASM guided bombs, MICA air-to-air missiles and drop tanks, while the single-seater also carries a Damoclès targeting pod on its centerline pylon. (French AF photo) RAFALETOWN, Corsica --- French air force Rafale combat aircraft deployed here as part of the UN-sanctioned Libyan No-Fly Zone are for the first time making full use of the aircraft’s “omnirole” capabilities, which allow a single aircraft to carry out the...

Rafale Ramps Up: In Squadrons and Capability Posted by Robert Wall at 5/26/2011 5:38 PM CDT The French navy next month expects to inaugurate its second operational unit, 11F, to be collocated with 12F at Landisvisiau near Brest. The move comes as the inventory of single-seat Dassault Aviation Rafale Ms is starting to grow. (credit: DGA) Meanwhile, combat operations continue to drive new efforts for the French military when it comes to Rafale. Soon to be launched is an upgrade of the Thales Damocles laser targeting pod to augment the infrared channel with a TV channel. The latter should improve...

Eurofighter, Rafale make Indian MMRCA shortlist? Our Bureau Has India downselected Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale for the $ 10 billion MMRCA fighter aircraft procurement project. Informed sources told defenseworld.net that two of the vendors, Eurofighter and Dassault have been invited to the Indian MoD for further discussions on their commercial bids on April 28. The commercial bids are to expire tomorrow. None of the other four bidding vendors have been invited so far for a discussion on the continuation of their bids, the sources said. Defenseworld.net reached two of the four vendors who confirmed that they have not...

France tries to tie Rafale with Mirage upgrade RAHUL BEDI New Delhi | 27th Mar Insidious French attempts to link the Indian Air Force's (IAFs) long-postponed and contentious Mirage 2000H fleet upgrade to the $10 billion acquisition of Dassault's Rafale fighters in support of the IAF's requirement of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), have further delayed the pending retrofit. Ostensibly, the deal to upgrade the IAFs 51 Vajra (Thunderbolt) Mirage 2000Hs, widely expected to be confirmed by end-March with fighter manufacturers Dassault Aviation, official sources said, had been further deferred beyond the March 2011 deadline following unresolved price differences...

Kuwaiti MP links Rafale deal with performance against Gaddafi A Kuwaiti lawmaker has linked his parliamentary bloc's approval of a deal with French Rafale fighters with their performance, in efforts to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. By Habib Toumi, Bureau chief Published: 11:07 March 23, 2011 Manama: A Kuwaiti lawmaker has linked his parliamentary bloc's approval of a deal with French Rafale fighters with their performance in efforts to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Militant MPs have repeatedly warned the Kuwaiti government against purchasing the French-made Rafale warplanes, saying technical reports have recommended the rejection of the deal. "We warn...

Sarkozy promises Brazil fighter jet technology 5:12pm EST * Dassault, Boeing and Saab bid for contract * Rousseff appears to be leaning to Boeing SAO PAULO, March 12 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised Brazil his government would support Dassault's proposed technology transfer of its new fighter jet as the company seeks an edge in its bid to win a multibillion-dollar Brazilian military contract. Brazil, which wants to rebuild and expand its dilapidated fleet of air force jets, has been considering offers from France's Dassault Aviation AVMC.PA, Boeing (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Sweden's Saab (SAABb.ST: Quote,...

A proven fighter for the UAE Ivan Gale Last Updated: Feb 16, 2011 Dassault was the leading supplier of fighter jets to the UAE long before the major US defence companies began selling to the country. Regis Duvignau / Reuters France may be smaller than the US state of Texas but in the world of aerospace and defence it is a giant. It trails only the US in supplying arms to the Gulf, accounting for 35 per cent of purchases between 2005 and 2009 by the UAE, and 21 per cent of all defence sales in the region during the...

European fighters lead MMRCA race Ajai Shukla Yelahanka/ Bangalore February 10, 2011, It was a no-holds-barred duel at Aero India 2011 for a $10-billion (Rs 45,500 crore) prize. Turn by turn, four of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft roared into the sky, keenly aware of the watching eyes of Indian ministry of defence (MoD) officials who would decide which of them was best suited for the Indian Air Force’s order of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). Their performances mirrored each fighter’s fortunes in the MMRCA race. In multiple interviews with MoD officials, IAF pilots and vendor representatives, Business...

France offering Mirage fighters to Iraq France has proposed to sell 18 Mirage fighters to Iraq, which is already negotiating a deal for US F-16s to protect its skies after US forces pull out at the end of this year, the French ambassador said on Thursday. "France has proposed to sell 18 Mirage F1 retrofitted aircraft that can be delivered from late 2011 and immediately operational because many Iraqi pilots were trained in the past on this type of plane," Boris Boillon told AFP. He said France was offering the multi-role planes for $1 billion (733 million euros). Baghdad has...

The French Fighter Jet That Nobody Wants The Rafale has cost $53 billion and is the key to France's defense economy, but it's not selling abroad By Carol Matlack The Rafale fighter, made by France's Dassault Aviation, is loaded with high-tech avionics, radar, and targeting systems. Now all it needs are customers. France has been peddling the supersonic jet since 2000 and hasn't sold a single one. In the latest setback, Brazil said on Jan. 17 that it would reopen bidding for a fighter contract worth up to $7 billion—a deal France had thought it was close to sealing last...

New Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has decided to delay awarding a multi-billion dollar Air Force jet contract and reevaluate the finalists' bids, in a move that could signal a realignment of Brazil's strategic and defense alliances, sources with knowledge of the decision told Reuters. The surprise decision is a blow to France's Dassault, which as recently as last month looked like a lock to quickly win the deal, and puts its U.S.-based rival Boeing back in with a chance. Rousseff's predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had while in office repeatedly expressed his preference for Dassault's bid to build at...

Exclusive: Rousseff "starting over" in Brazil jets tender By Brian Winter BRASILIA (Reuters) - New Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has decided to delay awarding a multi-billion dollar Air Force jet contract and reevaluate the finalists' bids, in a move that could signal a realignment of Brazil's strategic and defense alliances, sources with knowledge of the decision told Reuters. The surprise decision is a blow to France's Dassault, which as recently as last month looked like a lock to quickly win the deal, and puts its U.S.-based rival Boeing back in with a chance. Rousseff's predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva,...

Close up of Rafale over Swiss Alps winner in Best of the Rest in cover competition By Will Horton on December 27, 2010 This stunningly up-close photograph of a Dassault Rafale at Sion Air Base in Switzerland earned a place in our cover competition's "best of the rest" category. Taken with a Canon EOS 500D by AirSpace photographer Niels_Boswinkel. Look out for details next November for 2011's cover competition. Until then you can upload your photos to AirSpace for a chance to have one featured as our Image of the Week, or to be printed in our publications.

A decision by Brazil to buy 36 modern fighter jets was to take a step closer Monday when president-elect Dilma Rousseff was to ask current Defense Minister Nelson Jobim to stay on in her team to see the deal through, media reported. They were to formalize an agreement made during Rousseff's campaigning ahead of elections October 31 that Jobim would remain in his job for at least the next two years, the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said. Brazil's defense ministry did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for confirmation of the information. Rousseff takes over as president from her...

High cost of Indian Mirage 2000 fighter upgrade causing a rethink Our Bureau Fri, Dec 3, 2010 French President Nicholas Sarkozy may miss signing of the Mirage 2000 upgrade deal with the Indian Air Force (IAF) during his visit to India. While officially, “negotiations are still going on”, according India’s senior foreign ministry officials, the reason for the delay seems to be that the high cost of upgrading the fighters is causing a rethink, informed sources told defenseworld.net. The cost of upgrading the 51 fighters is working out to an average of Euro 45 million per piece which is well...

Flying the Eurofighter and France's Rafale FRANCE 24 journalist Apoorva Prasad takes flight in two of France's modern fighter planes in a cockpit comparison between the Eurofighter (pictured) and the Rafale, which recently came under fire from King Hamad of Bahrain. By Apoorva PRASAD (text) "There it is, on your HUD, your ground target!" A box encircled the nuclear power station, showing me the large cooling towers of the target. On the right hand colour display screen, a close up image of the plant appeared. The plane was in a shallow dive : I was flying closer and closer to...

Boeing proposes Embraer link in bid for Brazil contract (AFP) – 1 hour ago SAO PAULO — Boeing is offering to partner with Brazil's Embraer on a new fighter jet, in an effort to strengthen its bid for a multi-billion-dollar Brazilian defense contract, the US manufacturer said in a report Monday. Joseph McAndrew, Boeing's vice president for Europe, Israel and America, told business publication Valor that the firm proposed 10 partnership projects with Brazil's aviation leader, including building a new plant in the country to build parts for Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet. The jet is locked in a heated competition...

Brazil likely to chose Dassault's Rafale over Saab's Gripen, media says Posted on: Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:12:02 EST Symbols: BA, SAABF Nov 08, 2010 (NORDIC BUSINESS REPORT via COMTEX) -- 8 November 2010 - Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, will probably not award a deal for 36 fighter jets to Swedish group Saab AB (STO: SAAB B), but will prefer French Dassault Aviation (EPA: AM), Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico reported without naming any sources. Dassault's Rafale will reportedly be the president's first choice in the tender, beating Saab's Jas 39 Gripen, according to Valor Economico. US player...

Aviation companies decry F-35 purchase Dassault, Boeing claim they were shut out of lucrative military contract Last Updated: Friday, November 5, 2010 CBC News Two aviation companies have complained that the Canadian government never gave their planes a good look before selecting a competing jet — Lockheed Martin's F-35 — for a lucrative military contract. Representatives of Boeing and French airplane maker Dassault appeared before a parliamentary committee on Thursday to say their planes were overlooked despite being capable of fulfilling the required capabilities of a new fighter for the Canadian military. "To our knowledge, Canadian officials have not received...

France desperate for Rafale sales in Persian Gulf Published: Oct. 25, 2010 The French are driving hard to clinch orders for Dassault's multi-role Rafale fighter in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait to keep the jet's production line going. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has thrown his weight behind the drive to sell as many as 60 Rafales to the Emirates, which has a history of buying French combat aircraft, and 14-28 to Kuwait, which traditionally buys U.S. jets. But the omens aren't good for Rafale. Although the Emirates has a history of buying French combat jets, Dassault's failure to find...

France’s Rafale jet struggles to hit its target overseas By Paul Betts Published: October 14 2010 21:23 Nicolas Sarkozy likes to portray himself as the executive president. He sees himself as France’s salesman-in-chief promoting the country’s flagship exports, clinching deals around the world, especially with fast-growing emerging countries like China, India, Brazil and the oil-rich Gulf nations. He has even set up a so-called “war room” in his Elysée palace to support military and civil exports. But this grand export strategy seems to be running into growing difficulties of late. The new generation EPR European pressurised reactor – supposed to...

The French government plans to postpone $888 million worth of upgrades to its Mirage 2000D fighter-bombers as part of an effort to cut back spending. Defense Minister Herve Morin, speaking at a hearing this week of the Parliamentary Defense Committee, also said the government plans to delay acquisition of Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft and level-four of the SCCOA national air command-and-control system, according to a report from DefenseNews. According to defense sources, Morin told the committee that some elements of the Scorpion land systems modernization program also would be postponed but major programs, such as the Barracuda nuclear attack...

France offers to Indian Air Force for purchasing 40 Rafale fighters A French company offered to sell 40 of its state-of-the-art aircraft Rafale fighter jets to India for a bi-lateral air exercise on Friday. An Indo-French joint exercise is to be held somewhere in India in 2011 – 12. The offer was made by the maker of the Rafale and Mirage fighters, Charles Edelstennie, who is also the scion of the Dassult family. Dessult is a multi-billion French military and civil aerospace company. The chairman and chief executive of Dassult said, “We know the Indian Air Force, with which we...

UAE requests modifications on Rafale to buy them - French DM 16 June 2010 PARIS -- French defense minister Herve Morin said Wednesday the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested technical modifications to purchase Rafale military jets, asserting the deal was at its final phases. French media quoted Morin as saying the French and UAE governments were discussing the modifications. He said the "deal is in the framework of completion." Morin did not elaborate. Morin said the cost of modifications were less than two billion euros, contrary to what the media were reporting that modifications would cost 4-5 billion euros....

France frets over fighter sale to Brazil Sarkozy anxious to wrap up sale of Rafale jets to Brazil * Race for $6 billion arms deal ahead of October elections * U.S., Sweden still in the frame to sell their models By Matthias Blamont PARIS, May 18 (Reuters) - France is mounting a last-ditch bid to prevent another fighter sale slipping from its grasp as upcoming Brazilian presidential elections threaten to spoil its hopes of winning a first foreign sale of its Rafale combat jet. After setbacks in Morocco and Asia, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is leading a campaign for a...

Negotiations between France and the United Arab Emirates on Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter jet are taking longer than expected but Paris hopes to strike an agreement by the end of this year. A French official familiar with the negotiations told Defensenews.com that an agreement struck this year would mean that next-generation Rafale jets could be delivered by 2014. This so-called F4 standard of the multirole Rafale would be a true "fifth-generation" aircraft, the official told Defensenews.com. The United Arab Emirates is mulling the purchase of 14-28 planes, experts say. The F3 standard Rafale is in service with the with the...

The Gulf state of Kuwait is to test Rafale jets in June before making a final decision on buying the French-made warplanes, the defence minister was quoted as telling MPs on Sunday. "The defence minister told MPs that the deal is so far in the early stage of offers and making the technical assessment by the ministry," government spokesman Mohammad al-Baseeri told reporters outside parliament. "These will continue until June when the plane will be tested in Kuwait," Baseeri, also communications minister, said after Defence Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak al-Sabah had talks with parliament's interior and defence committee. "The defence...

French fighter deal just won’t fly in Kuwait James Calderwood, Foreign Correspondent Opponents say the Rafale combat plane is too costly and technically deficient. Pierre Verdy / AFP KUWAIT CITY // An Islamist group of MPs have threatened to question the prime minister in parliament if the government moves ahead with a plan to buy French Rafale combat jets because they say the aircraft are overpriced and technically deficient. Faisal al Muslim, one of the four-member Reform and Development Bloc (RDB), said after a press conference in the national assembly building on Sunday that the government is doing the deal...

Stoking additional controversy, a bloc of Islamist lawmakers warned that they would question Kuwait's prime minister or defense minister if the country went ahead with plans to purchase French-made Rafale warplanes. Islamist lawmakers lobbed the threat during a news conference at which they revealed what they called significant documents showing leading Kuwait military officials spurning the deal. "Signing the purchase agreement means we will grill whoever is responsible for authorizing the deal," said Faisal al-Muslim, a spokesman for the Reform and Development Bloc. Details of the deal haven't been made public but local media and members of the Islamist bloc...

Adding to acrimony over a lucrative defense deal, Brazilian prosecutors have agreed to probe a multibillion-dollar contest for the sale of advanced combat aircraft to the Latin American nation. The deal, expected to replenish Brazil's aging fleet of fighters, has pit aerospace giants from France, the United States and Sweden -- all eyeing to expand the reach of their defense exports in a heated contest for the sale of 36 combat aircraft to Brazil. The probe stems from what a prosecution source claims to be an unfair preference of France's Rafale combat aircraft despite its steep price tag. Aerospace giants...

The defense minister said Wednesday he favors the purchase of a French fighter jet for Brazil's revamped air force over aircraft from Sweden and the United States in the competition for an estimated $4.4 billion order. The Rafale jet from Dassault is competing against Sweden's Gripen NG from Saab AB and U.S.-based Boeing Co.'s F-18 Super Hornet. Nelson Jobim told a congressional commission that the bid from Dassault, while the most expensive of the three, better meets Brazil's national defense strategy, which requires a complete transfer of technology in the purchase of military equipment. The French government has guaranteed to...

A Stealthier Rafale? Posted by Bill Sweetman at 4/5/2010 5:30 AM CDT Our colleagues at Air & Cosmos report that the French government is funding a demonstration of improved stealth technology for the Dassault Rafale fighter, with a focus on active cancellation techniques. The story itself is not online but is being discussed at the Key Military Forum. Active cancellation means preventing a radar from detecting a target by firing back a deception signal with the same frequency as the reflection, but precisely one-half wavelength out of phase with it. Result: the returned energy reaching the radar has no frequency...

An Islamist parliamentary bloc in Kuwait on Sunday warned the government against the planned purchase of French-made Rafale warplanes, saying the deal was "suspicious." "The bloc reiterates its firm rejection of this suspicious deal, especially following information that the latest technical reports have recommended the rejection of the deal," said a statement by the Reform and Development Bloc. The written statement did not say why the deal was deemed suspicious, and there has been no official word that Kuwait was reconsidering the purchase. But last November some opposition MPs had claimed the proposed contract was over-inflated. A technical defence ministry...