NEW DELHI — France is working to ensure that no ripple effect of the Finmeccanica bribery scandal disrupts the long-anticipated contract to supply 126 Dassault Rafale fighters to the Indian air force. “We will do nothing contrary to the principles that we stand for and rules of trade that are based on the principles of competitiveness and fairness,” says French President Francois Hollande, during his two-day visit to India, in which he discussed the estimated $18 billion fighter aircraft deal with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
NEW DELHI — Europe’s MBDA is pitching its Meteor air-to-air missile to India as a weapon for its planned fleet of 126 Rafale fighters. “This is ideal for the Rafale,” an MBDA official tells Aviation Week. “It’s already part of the French fighter. India will just need to plug [it] in.”
NEW DELHI and LONDON — The Indian defense ministry has threatened to carry out the “strongest action” if Finmeccanica acted corruptly in the sale of helicopters to the Indian air force (IAF). The move follows the arrest in Italy of Finmeccanica chairman and CEO Giuseppe Orsi on Feb. 12 by investigators exploring whether AgustaWestland paid kickbacks worth around €50 million ($67 million) to secure the sale of 12 AW101 VIP helicopters to the IAF in 2010, when Orsi was in charge of the AgustaWestland division.
