Former Chief of Air Staff Mr. S. Krishnaswamy has written an article on the Rafale deal in Indian Express, Ahemedabad Edition on Saturday 1st Sept. He has given point by point explanation on the issues raised by the Congress Party and opposition parties, inside and outside Parliament. Salient features are as under:
1. There is a secrecy clause between the Indian and Franch Governments, which does not permit disclosure of deal.
2. If the opposition wants details of cost, Parliament can debate the price in secret session as permitted by clause 245-252 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
3. Rafale was selected in 2012 but UPA Govt didn’t sign the deal.
4. Dassault Aviation refused to take responsibility for work share of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
5. On all previous licence productions, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) never took guarantee on aircraft manufactured by HAL under licence.
6. Air Force insisted on such a guarantee due to unsatisfactory performance of HAL in the past.
7. HAL assessed the manhours to produce the aircraft were almost 3 times that were taken by OEM.
8. Deal of UPA therefore went into the freezer.
9. In 2014 Indian Air Force (IAF) projected their urgent requirement of 36 aircrafts i.e. 2 squadrons.
10. NDA Govt decided to purchase 36 aircrafts in a comprehensive package that would make the new aircraft operational at the earliest.
11. Inter-government contract was signed in 2016.
12. Package included Meteor missile, short range air to air missiles and other weapons.
13. Contract also included training systems, performance based logistic support for 2 squadrons, enhanced period of maintenance support and full maintenance support at two bases.
14. It was a comprehensive package and the quickest possible way to operationalise the new induction.
15. Contract envisaged in 2012 by UPA was only for production of bare aircraft that would have called for the need for many separate additional contracts to produce weapons etc.
16. These additional contracts would have dragged on for years and added a few thousand crores to the cost.
17. When Mirage 2000 was procured the weapons came much later.
18. Off-set on any purchase provide opportunities for national industries to manufacture required spares.
19. OEM i.e. Dassault and their partner could choose any offset partner from India from a list of 100 or more.
20. Reliance Industries figures in the list.
21. Rafale deal of 2016 involved 50 % offset clause which involves 30 % investment by Dassault for military aerospace R & D and 20 % for manufacturing Rafale components in India.
22. Importantly, none of the 36 aircrafts being supplied to India are likely to have parts produced in India.
23. All 36 aircrafts will be delivered between 2019 – 2022
24. Reliance has a 49 % stake in DRAI, a joint venture formed with Dassault.
25. This joint venture of Reliance is formed to make only aero structures for Dassault’s Falcon civil aircraft. It has no bearing on Rafale deal.
26. If there is any manoeuvring done to favour Reliance, it must be investigated.
27. Independent authorities like CAG, CVC, Parliamentary Accounts Committee keep an eye at the macro level and have powers to audit budget, expenditure etc.
28. PAC examining the Jaguar deal in 1987 had concluded that Rs 1500 crores had gone down the drain because the planes were outdated.
29. No one in the world is flying Jagaur in 2018 except India.
30. IAF is planning to upgrade these aircrafts and give them a fresh life for another 25 years.
31. New inductions of Aircrafts invariably got delayed because politicians fought and bureaucrats sat on the files.
32. Decisions are often delayed beyond the expiry of the offer.
33. We as a nation must debate about facts while staying with decency.
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Rafale Facts and Congress Propaganda
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