SHOW REPORT
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With decreasing defence markets, the focus at FIA 2012 was on commercial aviation
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A view at the air sho
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A FORCE Report
Farnborough, UK: As Aero India 2011 drew to a close in February last year, many feared it would be the
last of the big ones. Compared to big brothers like the Farnborough, Paris and Dubai Air Shows, Aero
India has always been a relatively small show. Yet in 2011, it was probably bigger than it will ever
be — because of the looming deadline on the Indian Air Force’s Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA)
programme. But nobody would have imagined that the IAF’s fighter programme would reverberate across
continents and at other air shows.
Shortly after the Indian air show in Bengaluru, the IAF whittled down its preference from six to two
European platforms — the EADS-led multi-national
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Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, from France. At the Paris Air Show in June last
year, banners outside the joyous Eurofighter pavilion proudly proclaimed they’d made it to the
finals. But earlier this year, Rafale beat Eurofighter in the price stakes. At the recently
concluded Farnborough International Air Show (FIA) 2012, the fatigue caused by all this long
distance running (five years) was more than evident.
Except for Boeing’s Super Hornet, Saab’s Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, there were no fighters
at the show. Despite having almost secured IAF’s contract, Dassault Aviation curiously decided to bring
only the commercial business unit to the Show; hence no Rafale and no Falcon. One would have thought
that buoyed by the success in India, Dassault Aviation would go the whole hog, seeking new export markets,
especially in the Gulf for its fighter, which does not have a single export order. As a result, tongues
wagged at the FIA, that Dassault’s parleys with the government of India might not be faring all that
well. It didn’t help that the Indian delegation at the show stopped by at the EADS pavilion for an extended
chat. Earlier at Eurosatory, minister of state for Defence MM Pallam Raju had visited Diehl Missile
Systems’ stand for a briefing. Two of Diehl’s missiles arm the Eurofighter Typhoon. Putting them on
the Rafale would require modifications in the aircraft, a Diehl official had told FORCE then. One wag
said almost gleefully, “If the Indian contract does not materialise for Rafale, the company would be
in real trouble.” But one Dassault Aviation executive, sitting in the company pavilion tucked away behind
the United States department of defence’s (DoD) outdoor display, justified the absence of the fighter.
“Farnborough is essentially a show for commercial and business jets,” he said. “So the company decided
that it will focus on that this time.”
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