Jubilation in France as Dassault wins deal

India's decision to buy 126 French-made Rafale fighter jets for its air force in a colossal 7.9 billion Euro deal, has understandably made headline news in France with a discreet popping of champagne corks, not just at Dassault Aviation, the makers of the plane, but within President Sarkozy's entourage and his Conservative UMP Party.
This French victory over the rival Eurofighter Typhoon (made by EADS and financed by a four-nation consortium that includes Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy) comes at a crucial time for the French President who is facing a difficult re-election bid in May 2012. With less than 15 weeks of campaigning left and extremely poor ratings, Mr. Sarkozy, who in the past has described himself as his country's “top salesman” is likely to milk the deal for all it is worth.
Serge Dassault, the Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation is a right-wing Senator and member of the ruling conservative UMP Party. He is also one of Mr. Sarkozy's most ardent supporters and uses his right-wing daily, Le Figaro, to further the President's cause. Both men are probably enjoying a rare moment of quiet victory before the fraught campaign weeks that lie ahead.
France had almost given up hope of ever selling its hugely expensive technological marvel. Rafale in French means gale, gust or squall and an acerbic scribe once remarked that the cash-guzzling Rafale programme was more of a tornado than a gale, sucking up a massive chunk of the defence ministry's budget. Had the deal not gone through, Dassault Aviation, which has been experiencing significant financial difficulties, would have been obliged to stop the Rafale programme altogether.
In its 26-year-old history, France has been incapable of selling a single plane outside its own frontiers.
01/02/12 Vaiju Naravane/The Hindu

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Categories: Foreign Feb 2012, Indian Aviation- In General Feb 2012, New Feb 2012