NEW UPDATE: Saab officially confirms they're out of the running.
UPDATE: India's equally definitive StratPost blog reports today that Typhoon and Rafale have been effectively shortlisted, leaving the F-16IN, F/A-18E/F, Gripen and MiG-35 out of the running. Shiv Aroor's LiveFist blog also is reporting that the competition has narrowed to Typhoon and Rafale ]
The Financial Express in India reports today that the shortlist of candidates for the $10 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contract should be released by "early May".
Given the India defense ministry's track record on MMRCA and other tortuously drawn-out acquisition decisions, it's perhaps forgivable for a cynic to wonder if the Financial Express' source in the ministry intended to mean early May of 2011, or some other year.
Shiv Aroor of the definitive LiveFist defense blog, meanwhile, has a good breakdown of India's options as the clock ticks down on the validity of the competitors' proposals.
So place your bets: India is expected to downselect as many as three candidates to continue negotiations, with a final contract scheduled to be signed in September, although ... [insert preferred caveat language here].
UPDATE: India's equally definitive StratPost blog reports today that Typhoon and Rafale have been effectively shortlisted, leaving the F-16IN, F/A-18E/F, Gripen and MiG-35 out of the running. Shiv Aroor's LiveFist blog also is reporting that the competition has narrowed to Typhoon and Rafale ]
The Financial Express in India reports today that the shortlist of candidates for the $10 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contract should be released by "early May".
Given the India defense ministry's track record on MMRCA and other tortuously drawn-out acquisition decisions, it's perhaps forgivable for a cynic to wonder if the Financial Express' source in the ministry intended to mean early May of 2011, or some other year.
Shiv Aroor of the definitive LiveFist defense blog, meanwhile, has a good breakdown of India's options as the clock ticks down on the validity of the competitors' proposals.
So place your bets: India is expected to downselect as many as three candidates to continue negotiations, with a final contract scheduled to be signed in September, although ... [insert preferred caveat language here].
Recent Comments