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Turbulence ahead with Indian jet deal The Indians, stormed “senior government sources,” had gone for the “Asda option instead of Waitrose”. By preferring the French Rafale jet rather than the British-built Typhoon, they rejected, according to the Prime Minister, a “superb aircraft with far better capabilities”. How dare they, asked MPs, snub Britain, which had given them £1.2 billion in aid? One newspaper even blamed the decision on the Gandhi family. The truth about Britain’s “failure” to land the £6.3 billion Indian military jet deal — and the thousands of jobs it will sustain - is different. The game is...

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.

Oman requests Typhoon buy from BAE By: Craig Hoyle Oman has issued a request for proposals to BAE Systems linked to the purchase of about 12 Eurofighter Typhoons, only one month after its plan to also buy a new batch of Lockheed Martin F-16s was revealed. In a statement issued on 23 January, the UK government said it "welcomes the government of Oman's request for a proposal from BAE Systems for the supply and support of Typhoon aircraft". The milestone represents "an important step towards the contract", it added. © BAE Systems The UK and Omani governments have been involved...

Saudi Typhoon storms ahead Posted 23 January 2012 Saudi Arabia has faced challenges introducing the Eurofighter Typhoon into service, not least in establishing local production – which has yet to start. But, as Jon Lake reports, despite this the Royal Saudi Air Force is pushing hard to adopt new capabilities and is believed to have been driving the pace of the development of new air-to-ground capabilities for the tranche 2 aeroplane. Many analysts believe that the pace of development for the phase 1 enhanced (P1E) programme of the Saudi Arabian Typhoons has been more rapid than might have been expected...

UKIP: 'UK must build naval Typhoon' 19 January 2012 The UK should cancel the purchase of the F-35C and invest in developing a naval variant of the Eurofighter Typhoon, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) has said. Lord Alexander Hesketh, UKIP's defence spokesman and former executive deputy chairman of Babcock International Group, said that adopting a naval Typhoon would allow the UK to restore carrier strike capability on its Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers before 2020 while saving money and protecting UK jobs. UKIP estimates suggest it would cost £1.4bn to develop a naval typhoon, with unit costs of around £80m....

Britain must continue giving aid to India to secure £6.6bn fighter jet deal, says minister The Government's controversial decision to continue giving money to India, a nation that has more billionaires than the UK and an aid programme of its own, is directly linked to developing trade and investment opportunities, a senior minister admitted yesterday. With surprising bluntness, the International Development minister, Andrew Mitchell, said the decision to spend £1.2bn over the next five years was part of a broader partnership that included the hoped-for sale of fighter jets to India. "It's an important market, and for our children and...

Omani F-16 win delivers blow for Eurofighter By: Craig Hoyle London Oman has placed a surprise follow-on order with Lockheed Martin for a second batch of 12 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters, with the development appearing to have ended the UK's hopes of selling Eurofighter Typhoons to the nation. Announcing the deal in a 14 December contract notification, the US Department of Defense said Muscat will acquire 10 single-seat fighters and a pair of two-seat trainers under a deal worth $600 million. These will join eight and four of the respective types already in service with the Royal Air Force of...

“I’d rather go to war in a Typhoon than in a F-18 (Super) Hornet” an Aussie exchange pilot says December 5, 2011 “I’d rather go to war in a Typhoon than in a F-18 Hornet”. This alleged Australian exchange pilot’s statement is one of the most interesting outcomes (and marketing slogans) of BERSAMA LIMA 11 an exercise marking the 40th Anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Agreement (FPDA) the only multilateral defence agreement in South East Asia with an operational element commitment undertaken by five nations (UK, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Australia) to consult in the event of an...

RPT-Swiss opt for Saab's Gripen fighter jets - paper (Repeats to additional subscribers) ZURICH Nov 30 (Reuters) - Switzerland has chosen to replace its fighter jet fleet with Swedish defence and aerospace group Saab's JAS-39 Gripen, Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources close to the government. Neutral Switzerland has wrangled for the past three years over whether to replace its ageing Northrop F-5E/F Tiger fighters, purchased in 1976 and 1981, with up to 33 new aircraft. Saab shares were up 8.5 percent to 117.10 Swedish crowns by 1345 GMT after the newspaper report. The newspaper said the...

Eurofighter best option for Japan's ASDF David Warren / Special to The Yomiuri Shimbun The international security environment is evolving. Particularly in terms of air defence, new technology is constantly being developed, including fifth generation fighter aircraft with high stealth performance that prevents targets from being detected easily by a radar. The Japanese Air Self-Defence Force, therefore, needs to take measures to ensure it can meet any challenge in the future. Which aircraft to select as a successor of ASDF's F-4 fighter aircraft that has become obsolete will be a critical decision for Japan's air defence for the next 20...

#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...

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...

Eurofighter forecasts new Brazil-Turkey fighter in 2025 As part of its KF-X presentation at the Seoul Air Show on 21 October, Eurofighter representative Cassidian displayed a fascinating chart with a fighter market forecast. Click on the chart to download a high-resolution version. There are some questionable assertions, as one might expect of a manufacturer-driven forecast. Eurofighter, of course, predicts the Dassault Rafale loses in the United Arab Emirates and India. The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet production line joins the Lockheed Martin F-22 and Boeing F-15E in the history books by 2017, according to Eurofighter. Interestingly, Eurofighter accepts that all 3,100...

UPDATE 2-Germany wants to cut defence orders Tue, Oct 18 2011 By Sabine Siebold BERLIN, Oct 18 (Reuters) - German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere plans deep cuts to Germany's military orders as part of sweeping reforms to the Bundeswehr, including a reduction in the order for Eurofighter jets, according to an internal document obtained by Reuters. The note from De Maiziere to parliament's defence committee details plans to cut by 37 to 140 the order for Eurofigher aircraft, to reduce an order for Puma tanks to 350 from 410 and to slash an order for Tiger combat helicopters to...

Eurojet offers Korea chance to join consortium By Jung Sung-ki Korea has a chance to join a European military engine consortium for joint manufacturing, development and marketing. The offer is conditional to the country deciding to power its new-generation aircraft with a European engine, according to a key executive from Eurojet Turbo GmbH. Eurojet is a four-nation military aerospace engine consortium involving the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Germany. The consortium has already secured orders of 1,500 EJ200 engines internationally and expects hundreds more, according to Paul Herrmann, Eurojet’s vice president-sales, as India and other nations are considering buying Eurofighter...

Carrying hopes of so many BAE's mighty Eurofighter Typhoon - built and developed on the Fylde Coast Published on Thursday 29 September 2011 14:10 IN April 1994, workers watched with pride as the Typhoon -– then still called Eurofighter – took off from the Warton airfield for its maiden flight in the UK. All those present knew the significance of the occasion. For riding on the plane’s success were the jobs of thousands of people. Since then, 108 of the aircraft have rolled off the Warton production line, and they have seen active service, including most recently in Libya. The...

FOCUS: Europeans trying to beat U.S. for Japan's lucrative fighter contract LONDON (Kyodo) -- Over the next few months, a consortium of European manufacturers is hoping to persuade the Japanese government to place a multibillion dollar order for the Eurofighter Typhoon as the country's next mainstay fighter aircraft. But also in the running are the F-35 Lightning II fighter, or Joint Strike Fighter, whose development is led by U.S. aircraft maker Lockheed Martin Corp., and the F/A-18 Super Hornet designed by McDonnell Douglas, part of Boeing Co. of the Untied States. Reports from Japan suggest that the stealthy F-35 is...

Typhoon: The last hurrah for the UK aerospace industry? 22 August 2011 Outgoing GKN plc Chief Executive Sir Kevin Smith tellls DMJ editor Anthony Hall what the UK aerospace industry must do to secure its future in tough economic times… With the government focusing its defence industry policy towards a drive for exports, the invitation from UKTI DSO to visit the Pall Mall offices of GKN plc to speak to CEO Sir Kevin Smith was a timely one. A business leader with over 30 years' experience in the aerospace industry, Smith has been chief executive of GKN since 2003 and...

India given choice to pioneer naval Typhoon jet LONDON/NEW DELHI: In anticipation of winning the Indian Air Force's $10.4 billion tender for 126 combat jets, European consortium EADS has offered India a choice to pioneer a project for a naval version of the Eurofighter Typhoon that is in the fray in what is being described as the "mother of all defence deals". Typhoon's competitor in the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender, the French firm Dassault's Rafale, already has a naval version that is operational on France's lone nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Officials of BAE Systems, one of...

'British Typhoons whacked India's Sukhois in joint exercises' Jul 24, 2011 | IANS Britain's frontline fighter jet Eurofighter Typhoon, shortlisted for India's $10.4-billion combat jets tender, whacked the Indian Air Force (IAF) warhorse Sukhoi in one-on-one dog fights during bilateral air war games, if Britain's air chief is to be believed. "Well, they lost," was Stephen Dalton's response when asked how the Russian-developed India-manufactured Su-30MKI air superiority jets performed against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Typhoons when they matched their wits during the joint exercises in recent years. However, he was quick to add that the two aircraft are different...

Typhoon outdid Rafale in Libya, claims four-nation consortium Sandeep Dikshit It has superior turnaround time, bombing capabilities With just a fortnight left for the opening of commercial bids for the Indian military's biggest ever tender, four European nations — the U.K., Germany, Spain and Italy — bidding jointly for 126 fighter planes promised an open door technology transfer and emphasised the superiority of their Eurofighter Typhoon over its sole competitor, the French Rafale, during ongoing operations in Libya “The technology transfer is very attractive,” said senior officers of the four-nation consortium while senior Royal Air Force officers, sidestepping the morality...

Europe asks Korea to join Eurofighter program By Lee Tae-hoon A multination consortium in Europe has invited Korea to join its high-end jet production project in an apparent attempt to win what would be Korea’s biggest arms-procurement deal. The move came following Seoul’s announcement that it would purchase 60 advanced fighter aircraft in line with its push to shift the country’s military posture from passive defense to proactive deterrence with a projected budget of up to 10 trillion won ($8.96 billion). “We welcome the Korean industry to participate as EADS’s full member,” Erwin Obermeier, a senior advisor of export projects...

Libya boosts Euro fighter jets at Paris Air Show By JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press LE BOURGET, France (AP) — In the war in Libya, the French Rafale fighter jet has nearly done it all: no-fly zone enforcement, air-to-ground strikes, reconnaissance, overflight missions. One thing the plane has never done is sell overseas. The Rafale and a European market rival, the Typhoon, have been among standout performers in the NATO air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi's forces — offering an unexpected shop window as nations including rising world powers Brazil and India consider multibillion-dollar fighter jet purchases. Both warplanes were heavily promoted...

Old Tornado jets no crutch for Typhoon in Libya: pilot (Reuters) - The aging Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon's joint sorties in Libya give a tactical advantage to both warplanes and the older jet is not babysitting the younger, a UK air force official said on Sunday. While enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya since mid-March, the modern Eurofighter, which had not been used in real-life combat since its introduction in 2003, has generally been accompanied on missions by Tornado jets, which have been used in air-to-ground combat for some 20 years. "It may seem strange to fly with the...

Europe takes on US to win $16 bln Turkey fighter jet deal 30 May 2011, Monday / EMRE SONCAN, ANKARA Turkey, with its plan to purchase 100 fighter jets -- for which it was going to shake hands with Lockheed Martin for $16 billion, but later suspended due to the American aerospace company's refusal to share technology with it -- has also received an offer from Europe, one that includes the sharing of the know-how Turkey wants. Speaking to Today's Zaman on the condition of anonymity, a leading executive from European Eurofighter -- an aerospace consortium of Germany, Italy, Spain...

Does Typhoon Have Upper Hand in India? Posted by Christina Mackenzie at 5/18/2011 8:02 AM CDT Close and experienced observers of the Indian defense sector are placing their bets on the Eurofighter Typhoon beating the Rafale in the competition to provide India with new combat aircraft. They say the two aircraft down-selected at the end of last month are very similar performance-wise and so the decision is likely to swing to the Typhoon. And why? Because Dassault in December signed a $2.1 million contract to upgrade India's fleet of 51 Mirage-2000s and, these observers say, India is likely to buy...

Impacts of the Indian Fighter Competition by Robbin Laird 05/16/2011 India is clearly a key player in shaping the future of Chinese power, globally and in the Pacific. At the same time, the significant 2nd and 3rd world fighter market will be dominated by exports from China, Russia, India or Brazil. Neither the U.S. nor Europe is planning a lower cost export fighter. Indian leadership when they saw the Chinese role out of the J-20 understood its impact on global markets. This is an advanced aircraft, which will have implications for upgrades for customers of Chinese fighter aircraft. The Bush...

Italy pushes Eurofighter as Turkey's 'only alternative' to US options Wednesday, May 11, 2011 ÃœMÄ°T ENGÄ°NSOY The Italian Defense Ministry continues pushing Turkey to join the Eurofighter aircraft project as an alternative to its present fleet of US-made jets. 'Turkey wants part of its fighter aircraft fleet to remain outside the technological and other influence of the United States,' says a Turkish defense analyst The pan-European Eurofighter fighter aircraft is the only viable alternative to U.S. planes in its category for the Turkish military, ItalyÂ’s deputy defense minister said late Tuesday, urging Turkey to join the ambitious European-led defense program....

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...

LIBYA: UK commits Eurofighter Typhoons for ground-attack duties By Craig Hoyle The UK has stepped up its commitment to the NATO-led campaign to contain Libya's armed forces by adding four Panavia Tornado GR4s to its contribution and placing an equal number of Eurofighter Typhoons at readiness to conduct offensive action. Prime Minister David Cameron announced the decision to send the four additional Tornado ground-attack aircraft during a 5 April visit to Royal Air Force personnel forward-deployed at Gioia del Colle air base in Italy. Eight GR4s are already at the site and have been used to conduct multiple strikes during...

Our ace in the pack: Lone British female Typhoon pilot takes to skies to keep up the pressure on Colonel Gaddafi By Tom Kelly In Gioia Del Colle Unnamed woman one of just ten maintaining no-fly zone over Libya With a relaxed air that conceals her steely resolve, this is the lone female RAF pilot flying combat missions over Libya. The woman, who has not been named, is one of ten Typhoon pilots deployed to enforce the no-fly zone by North Africa and blast Colonel Gaddafi's aircraft from the skies. Stationed at the British advanced post in southern Italy, she...

PICTURES: UK outlines Typhoon, Tornado operations against Gaddafi forces By Craig Hoyle The UK Ministry of Defence has provided fresh details about its commitment to supporting the UN-mandated no-fly zone over Libya, including the first combat employment of its Eurofighter Typhoons. At least nine Royal Air Force aircraft types are involved in the UK’s Operation “Ellamy”, with their activities now largely being conducted from Gioia del Colle air base in Italy and RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. After arriving at Gioia del Colle on 20 March, RAF Typhoons took part in their first combat operation for the UK within less than 24h....

The Role of the Eurofighter Thinking about the Future of European Airpower An Interview with Euro fighter Programmer, Erwin Obermeier All following statements made by Obermeier are his own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the strategy, intentions and way forward of CASSIDIAN or Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH. 3/22/2011 - In February 2011, Second Line of Defense’s Robbin Laird and Caroline Mükusch sat down in Munich with one of the father’s of the present Eurofighter Programme, Erwin Obermeier. Currently, Obermeier is a Senior Advisor on Exports and Special Projects for Air Systems (AS) at Cassidian. Obermeier among many other things is...

Typhoon makes history in Libya with first combat mission The RAF’s new Typhoon Eurofighter fighter jet made history yesterday as it took to the skies on its first combat mission. By John Bingham, and Andy Bloxham 11:09PM GMT 21 Mar 2011 A pair of British F2 Typhoon aircraft took off from southern Italy on their first patrols to enforce the UN-imposed no-fly zone over Libya. Around a dozen of £70 million supersonic jets have been assigned to take part in the international efforts designed to keep Colonel Gaddafi’s air force grounded. The aircraft, usually based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire,...

UK commits Typhoons, Tornado GR4s to Libyan no-fly zone By Craig Hoyle The UK has started preparations to deploy Eurofighter Typhoon and Panavia Tornado GR4 strike aircraft to the Mediterranean region to support an international operation to restrict the activity of forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. The action was confirmed by UK Prime Minister David Cameron on 18 March, who told the House of Commons that further assets, including air-to-air refuelling and reconnaissance aircraft will also be involved. "Preparations to deploy these aircraft have already started, and in the coming hours they will move to air bases...

Britain in Eurofighter talks with Indonesia: report (AFP) – 12 hours ago LONDON — Britain is in talks with Indonesia on the possible sale of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft despite concerns over Jakarta's human rights record, The Times newspaper reported Thursday. Indonesia informally approached Britain over the potential acquisition of up to 24 jets. The previous Labour government banned defence exports to the country in 1999 amid claims it had used British-made planes to bomb civilians. The sale would be worth around 5 billion pounds ($8.1 billion dollars, 5.8 billion euros) in total, the paper said, but would be hugely controversial...

Eurofighter Typhoon: It's EVEN WORSE than we thought RAF gets just 107 jets – and new budget trainwreck looms By Lewis Page This plane is new and has just been expensively upgraded. It will be scrapped soon. Analysis Yesterday the UK National Audit Office published [1] a detailed report on the current status of the infamous Eurofighter combat jet – nowadays officially known as Typhoon. We here on the Reg defence desk have always had a low opinion of the cripplingly expensive, marginally useful fighter: but even we were amazed by the new facts and figures. The Eurofighter, almost unbelievably,...

RAF forced to cut training hours for pilots on new Typhoon jet RAF has just eight pilots capable of flying ground attack missions in new Typhoon Richard Norton-Taylor The Guardian, Wednesday 2 March 2011 The RAF sacked pilots training to fly existing fast jets. Now it has been forced to ground pilots learning to fly the next generation of planes. In a devastating report on waste and inefficiency in the MoD, parliament's independent watchdog says a lack of spare parts has forced the RAF to cut the hours pilots need to learn to fly its new, long-delayed, fleet of Typhoon...

PICTURES: Eurofighter reveals Typhoon development options for Middle East By Siva Govindasamy The Eurofighter consortium is developing a roadmap for the Typhoon that it believes will offer potential customers in the Middle East options to greatly enhance the type's capabilities. "The plan is to, over the next eight to 10 years, take a phased approach to enhancing the Typhoon's capability," says Rob Wells, Eurofighter's export future business manager. "It is the exports that are driving these enhancements." Eurofighter unveiled the plans, which include optional conformal fuel tanks, at IDEX 2011. Other enhancements include the option of MBDA's Meteor beyond visual-range...

Battling US for huge deal, Eurofighter woos Japan By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press TOKYO – In a deal that could be worth billions of dollars and determine one of the primary fighter jets in Asia for decades to come, European aircraft makers are trying to convince Japan to do something it has never done before — snub America. U.S. planes have long been Tokyo's overwhelming favorite, but Japan appears to be wobbling under a strong sales pitch for the Eurofighter Typhoon, coupled with problems and restrictions that have made the American alternatives less attractive. The stakes are high. The contract...

With Typhoon, India gets tech, freedom to act February 20th, 2011 DC Mr Andrew Gallagher, CEO-MD of BAE Systems India, says India should avoid American and buy the Eurofighter Typhoon to reap both capability and strategic benefits. Excerpts from an interview. The Typhoon is the ‘youngest’ aircraft in the MMRCA competition. The flip side is that it’s still a work-in-progress… If you buy an F-16, you know what you are getting — a 1970’s product. If you go for the Typhoon, it’s been in service for six years with the Eurofighter air forces, you are getting the best platform available...

Saudi Arabia seeks Tranche 3 capabilities for Typhoon fleet By Craig Hoyle Saudi Arabia could modify its Salam programme acquisition of the Eurofighter Typhoon to equip part of the fleet with Tranche 3 capabilities. BAE Systems disclosed the potential contractual shift on 17 February within its annual results report. Eighteen of the Royal Saudi Air Force's eventual 72 Typhoons have been delivered so far, with these having come off BAE's final assembly line at Warton, Lancashire. Riyadh has so far received 12 single-seat fighters and six two-seat trainers, with 10 of the total having been delivered during 2010. "Whilst deliveries...

Here at Aero India 2011, Eurofighter has showcased a new naval variant of the Eurofighter Typhoon and has offered it to the Indian Navy. The Eurofighter has also been pitching hard for the Indian Air Force Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition and roped in the Defence Minister of United Kingdom Dr. Liam Fox to strongly push the deal. In a press briefing at the Aero India media center, he spoke highly of the Eurofighter's bid for M-MRCA competition and termed the offering as the best bet on the table. Answering a question of the high price of the Erofighter...

The development of carrier aviation during the 20th century led to a dramatic paradigm shift in military capability. For the first time, navies had the ability to exert their influence far over the horizon – supporting land campaigns and allowing hostile fleets to be engaged from beyond the range of a battleship’s guns. From Pearl Harbor to more recent conflicts in the Falklands and the Middle East, the carrier and its aircraft provide commanders with an unrivaled ability to project military and political influence; several acres of sovereign territory which can be moved close to potential trouble spots at short...

Eurofighters for India? Germany Will 'Contribute to an Arms Race,' Charges Opposition Selling fighter jets to India would violate weapons-export guidelines, say members of the German opposition, who are criticizing a trip by Defense Minister Guttenberg to India this week. New Delhi has dangled a fat contract for a fleet of jets, but critics say Berlin should not export weapons to a crisis zone. German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has been criticized by opponents for making a trip this week to India, where he attended an air show in Bangalore Thursday and tried to drum up business for a...

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...

The Eurofighter consortium is offering India the opportunity to acquire a new version of its Typhoon for use from a future indigenous aircraft carrier, with the first firm details of the proposal having emerged at the show. One of six contenders battling for the Indian air force's 126-aircraft medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal, Eurofighter is here touting the potential of a navalised development which has already been studied in detail in the UK. "If Typhoon wins MMRCA then India will have the indigenous skills to develop a navalised version," says Paul Hopkins, BAE Systems' vice-president business development (air) India....

AERO INDIA: Eurofighter reveals offer to produce navalised Typhoon By Craig Hoyle The Eurofighter consortium is offering India the opportunity to acquire a new version of its Typhoon for use from a future indigenous aircraft carrier, with the first firm details of the proposal having emerged at the show. One of six contenders battling for the Indian air force's 126-aircraft medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal, Eurofighter is here touting the potential of a navalised development which has already been studied in detail in the UK. "If Typhoon wins MMRCA then India will have the indigenous skills to develop a...