Defence Aviation News

France is offering India 36 Rafale fighter jets in fly-away condition at the same price which it pays to French defence major Dassault Aviation to equip its own air force, defence sources said.They added that the final pricing will depend on the specific requirements that India seeks from France and how the negotiation goes forward. The said offer is in keeping with the joint statement issued during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to France where he announced the intention to buy 36 Rafales off the shelf. “The two leaders (Modi, French President Fracois Hollande) agreed to conclude an inter-governmental agreement for supply of the aircraft on terms that would be better than what is conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway,” the statement had said. The “separate process” was the MMRCA tender which had been stuck for years over pricing and other issues. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had met with his Indian count...

Angola is set to be become the third operator of the Sukhoi Su-30 series twin-seat fighter jets in Africa, following Algeria and Uganda. Six former Indian air force Su-30K (mod) aircraft are due for delivery in the second half of this year. Originally destined for the Belarus air force, they have undergone a major overhaul and repair program at the Aircraft Repair Plant no. 558 in Baranovichi, Belarus, arranged by Sukhoi. This repair plant is seeking business from other Su-30 operators and was an exhibitor at the recent LIMA airshow in Malaysia, which received 18 Su-30MKMs. The African continent is considered a potentially big market for the big Sukhoi jetfighters, mostly used ones, which are going to be withdrawn from service in other parts of the world and thus become available cheaply. Few potential customers in the region can afford brand-new airplanes of that size and complexity, but the vast expanse of the continent and ambitions of some local leaders generate an interest....