Aero India 2019: There is no scandal with Rafale, reconfirms Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier

The Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier on Tuesday has reconfimed that there was no scandal with the fale deal. While speaking to the media at the Aero India Show, Trappier said that the company had the request of 36 aircraft and they are going to deliver it. "There is no scandal with Rafale, we had the request for 36 aircraft and we are going to deliver it. If Government of India wants more aircraft, we will be more than pleased to deliver," says Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier.

"We are more than proud to show today in our stand what we have produced in Nagpur, the first Falcon 2000 cockpit manufactured under the 'Make in India' policy in one year," he added.

Earlier today, top French envoy said that there’s nothing wrong with the plane and that Narendra Modi government made a good decision. Talking to media at Bengaluru’s Aero India show, Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India said, “I don’t see any scandal. What I see is a very good aircraft which has been purchased by Government of India and which comes probably to fly here in the sky of Bengaluru and which will join Indian Air Force within 6 months.”

Top envoy’s statement comes at a time when the political parties in India are embroiled in the war of words over the fighter plane. Many see this as major agenda in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections. Recently, a CAG report had said that the Narendra Modi government bought Rafale fighter planes at a cheaper rate.

The CAG report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force, which was tabled in Rajya Sabha, did not mention the exact price of each fighter jet. The audit noted that the IAF did not define the ASQRs (Air Staff Qualitative Requirements) properly. As a result, none of the vendors could fully meet the ASQRs. ASQRs were changed repeatedly during the procurement process. It created difficulties during technical and price evaluation and affected integrity of competitive tendering; one of the main reasons for the delay in the acquisition process. Objectivity, equity, and consistency of technical evaluation process wasn't evident in the Technical Evaluation Report.   

The Dassault Aviation, manufacturers of the Rafale had earlier said that it would showcase its Falcon 2000S business aircraft, certified for low visibility approach, alongside the fighter jet at the five-day Aero India Show, that started today.

The 2000S was recently certified by EASA and FAA for low visibility approaches down to 100 feet, using the advanced FalconEye Combined Vision System (CVS), the company said in a statement. The first Falcon 2000 nose section produced by Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL), manufactured at Nagpur, will also be displayed at the show, it said.

"In addition to their unrivaled combination of range, agility and airport performance, the reputation of Falcon jets in India and the surrounding region rests on Dassault Aviation's half-century of experience supplying the Indian Air Force with sturdy, technologically advanced fighters for its frontline combat aircraft requirements," Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier said.