Eurofighter Typhoon Still An Option For Indian MMRCA: German Ambassador

European military consortium EADS is still ready to provide Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to India as an alternative to Dassault Rafale as the MMRCA deal is stuck for the past three years due to cost and guarantee clause.

Ahead of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Germany German Ambassador, Michael Steiner on Wednesday told reporters in New Delhi that the European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) was ready with its proposal to offer Eurofighter to India asserting that the jets are “good” both in terms of quality and price.

“The consortium stands ready with their proposal. The governments of the four nations are supporting this proposal because they are convinced it is a good one both in terms of quality of the product and price,” he said.

 “The consortium would however continue to respect the Indian procurement procedures and it is for India to decide what kind of aircraft it wants to procure,” Steiner said.

The Indian PM along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel will inaugurate the Hannover Messe fair on April 12.

India has been in negotiations for last three years with France’s Dassault Aviation for procurement of 126 Rafale jets, which is being considered world’s biggest military aircraft deal.

India has cleared its stand regarding the cost and guarantee issues with Dassault.

“We have conveyed our stand to them very clearly. No terms are negotiable and they (French Government) have to make up their mind as to whether they can do it or not. We can’t keep on waiting,” Parrikar had said last month.

The cost of the program was $12 billion when the initial tender was floated in 2007. The price shot up to $18 billion when Dassault won the contract as the lowest bidder in January 2012.

The transfer of technology, life cycle costs and creating assembly line might finally cross $20 billion.

The Indian government may find it difficult to justify a nearly 80% price hike for the Rafale jets to the Indian parliament. In the past, the accounting watchdog, the Comptroller and auditor general (CAG) has criticized the government for its fiscal conduct while concluding defense deals.