In a bid to end the deadlock in the negotiation for the sale of 126 Rafale combat jets to the Indian Air Force, French aircraft-maker Dassault Aviation bosses have come to the country to seal what is often termed as "mother of all defence deals".
A team of officials from Dassault, Thales and Snecma - the three original equipment manufacturers of Rafale - is Bangalore talking to Indian aviation company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited - the lead partner in producing the aircraft in India - to resolve the issue of workshare agreement, sources said.
India had picked Rafale for exclusive negotiations in January 2012. But the deadlock over the workshare between Dassault and its Indian Production Agencies (IPAs) and the lead partner had become a bone of contention delaying the whole acquisition process. The IAF had earlier this month asked the French officials to resolve the differences with HAL to move forward as it sought to end the sense of uncertainty that has gripped the contract.
"The difficult part of the negotiations over the transfer of technology and the mandatory spin offs have already been finalised but there is uncertainty about who will provide what," a source said.
13/01/14 Gautam Datt/Mail Online
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A team of officials from Dassault, Thales and Snecma - the three original equipment manufacturers of Rafale - is Bangalore talking to Indian aviation company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited - the lead partner in producing the aircraft in India - to resolve the issue of workshare agreement, sources said.
India had picked Rafale for exclusive negotiations in January 2012. But the deadlock over the workshare between Dassault and its Indian Production Agencies (IPAs) and the lead partner had become a bone of contention delaying the whole acquisition process. The IAF had earlier this month asked the French officials to resolve the differences with HAL to move forward as it sought to end the sense of uncertainty that has gripped the contract.
"The difficult part of the negotiations over the transfer of technology and the mandatory spin offs have already been finalised but there is uncertainty about who will provide what," a source said.
13/01/14 Gautam Datt/Mail Online
