The Watcher
New Member
I am posting yet another very important article only on defencetalk.com forums. Hope you like it. I do have comments check bottom of the post.
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Defence top guns vie for Singapore contract
By Peter Spiegel
September 21 2003 20:57
In its 35-year history the Singapore air force has never fired its guns in anger.
The only time in recent memory that its ageing A-4 Super Skyhawks were scrambled was last month, when an unidentified aircraft wandered into its airspace. It turned out to be a wheelchair-bound Portuguese pilot in a Beechcraft flying solo round the world.
But despite the Singapore military's relative inexperience and small size, the eyes of every large tactical-fighter maker will be on it for the next week, when its weapons procurement agency is expected to decide on the three finalists to replace the 40 Skyhawks. The air force also operates a squadron of Lockheed F-16s.
The number of warplanes Singapore is buying is small: 10 at first, with another 10 promised later. The decision, already delayed for six months, could be pushed back again.
But because of the competition's timing - just as Lockheed Martin is building test versions of the potentially export-dominating Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), due to enter service early in the next decade - and the reputation of Singapore's procurement officials, the contest has taken on disproportionate significance. It could drastically affect many of the companies involved.
Richard Aboulafia, a consultant with Washington-based Teal Group, said: "With Poland and South Korea gone, this is the last great pre-JSF hope." The importance of the contract for the world's defence giants was demonstrated this month when the Singapore air force celebrated its 35th anniversary. Four of the five companies in the running descended on the island. Sukhoi, the revitalised Russian stalwart, was the only one not to show.
Much of the intensity is due to Singapore's reputation as a "reference customer", one of a handful of countries that carry weight because of the stringency and transparency of their procurement process.
"These guys mean it," said Mr Aboulafia. "There are no shenanigans. They're not buying these for toys or because the military has political power."
Situated between unstable Indonesia and authoritarian Malaysia - with China looming large near by - Singapore takes its defence seriously.
For companies with a new aircraft to market, winning the Singapore contract would be a huge boost in the eyes of other countries that may soon upgrade their air forces, such as Kuwait, Australia and Switzerland.
Among the new aircraft is Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault Aviation's Rafale and the Eurofighter - produced by a pan-European consortium from the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.
The company with the most at stake is Dassault, whose Rafale was developed after France quit the Eurofighter programme in the 1980s. Rafale has lost every competition it has been in. It was a finalist in the two biggest fighter contracts of recent times - Poland and South Korea. In the latter it accused officials of rigging the competition for the winner, Boeing. Dassault now risks finding France - which may have to cut spending - as its only customer.
Exports historically account for two-thirds of French warplane makers' sales. Failure to sell the Rafale abroad would drive costs up for France and imperil the entire programme.
Sash Tusa at Goldman Sachs said: "Eurofighter has already started to win export competitions, and has a large domestic base with the four partner countries. Rafale has got nothing."
Although the Eurofighter programme is not in such dire straits - having recently agreed the sale of 18 aircraft to Austria for €1.9bn ($2.15bn) and hoping to finalise an even bigger sale to Greece - a win in Singapore would prove its credibility outside Europe. It would also give it a huge boost for the next decade, during which the JSF - which promises significant technological features, including much-prized stealth technology - will still be moving slowly into full production.
If the whispers around air shows are to be believed, Eurofighter has already made it into the final three, along with two of the three aircraft being offered by US companies.
Of these, Boeing is bidding with its F-15, the US air force's premier fighter, along with the F/A-18, while Lockheed is pitching its F-16, already the most successfully exported jet fighter in history.
In the end, the smart money is on the Americans, largely because Singapore already has F-16s and has signed up as a participant in the JSF programme, an indication that it is looking for a transitional fighter rather than an entirely new line.
Besides, notes Mr Aboulafia, the umbrella of US security still casts a long shadow: "If Singapore gets in trouble, they know no one else is going to send their navy in to help out."
Additional reporting by Douglas Wong in Singapore.
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Now, what does singapor have to fear from China? Do these two have some type of problem with each other or what?
Why isn't Pakistan in list of countries desperately needing airforce upgrades with new jets?
If rafale has failed, why is it on pakistans list of "next" jet?
If JSF, Euro are on the list for export, why didn't pakistan signed up to get these planes... even though we know pakistan won't get them but still they should try to and sign up like singapor has.
The reason I am bringing this towards pakistan is that its one of the best air forces in the world, pakistani pilots best in the world 2nd to none! Pakistan NEEDS strong airforce and with India creating conventional imbalance in the region-it is a must that pakistan acquires some type of hardware to keep that in check yet no one is willing to sell anything to them and more restrictions are being thrown at pakistani military.
In light of this article, what are the options for Pakistan and countries wanting and needing upgrades for their airforces yet they can't get anyone to sell stuff to them???
--------------------------------
Defence top guns vie for Singapore contract
By Peter Spiegel
September 21 2003 20:57
In its 35-year history the Singapore air force has never fired its guns in anger.
The only time in recent memory that its ageing A-4 Super Skyhawks were scrambled was last month, when an unidentified aircraft wandered into its airspace. It turned out to be a wheelchair-bound Portuguese pilot in a Beechcraft flying solo round the world.
But despite the Singapore military's relative inexperience and small size, the eyes of every large tactical-fighter maker will be on it for the next week, when its weapons procurement agency is expected to decide on the three finalists to replace the 40 Skyhawks. The air force also operates a squadron of Lockheed F-16s.
The number of warplanes Singapore is buying is small: 10 at first, with another 10 promised later. The decision, already delayed for six months, could be pushed back again.
But because of the competition's timing - just as Lockheed Martin is building test versions of the potentially export-dominating Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), due to enter service early in the next decade - and the reputation of Singapore's procurement officials, the contest has taken on disproportionate significance. It could drastically affect many of the companies involved.
Richard Aboulafia, a consultant with Washington-based Teal Group, said: "With Poland and South Korea gone, this is the last great pre-JSF hope." The importance of the contract for the world's defence giants was demonstrated this month when the Singapore air force celebrated its 35th anniversary. Four of the five companies in the running descended on the island. Sukhoi, the revitalised Russian stalwart, was the only one not to show.
Much of the intensity is due to Singapore's reputation as a "reference customer", one of a handful of countries that carry weight because of the stringency and transparency of their procurement process.
"These guys mean it," said Mr Aboulafia. "There are no shenanigans. They're not buying these for toys or because the military has political power."
Situated between unstable Indonesia and authoritarian Malaysia - with China looming large near by - Singapore takes its defence seriously.
For companies with a new aircraft to market, winning the Singapore contract would be a huge boost in the eyes of other countries that may soon upgrade their air forces, such as Kuwait, Australia and Switzerland.
Among the new aircraft is Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault Aviation's Rafale and the Eurofighter - produced by a pan-European consortium from the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.
The company with the most at stake is Dassault, whose Rafale was developed after France quit the Eurofighter programme in the 1980s. Rafale has lost every competition it has been in. It was a finalist in the two biggest fighter contracts of recent times - Poland and South Korea. In the latter it accused officials of rigging the competition for the winner, Boeing. Dassault now risks finding France - which may have to cut spending - as its only customer.
Exports historically account for two-thirds of French warplane makers' sales. Failure to sell the Rafale abroad would drive costs up for France and imperil the entire programme.
Sash Tusa at Goldman Sachs said: "Eurofighter has already started to win export competitions, and has a large domestic base with the four partner countries. Rafale has got nothing."
Although the Eurofighter programme is not in such dire straits - having recently agreed the sale of 18 aircraft to Austria for €1.9bn ($2.15bn) and hoping to finalise an even bigger sale to Greece - a win in Singapore would prove its credibility outside Europe. It would also give it a huge boost for the next decade, during which the JSF - which promises significant technological features, including much-prized stealth technology - will still be moving slowly into full production.
If the whispers around air shows are to be believed, Eurofighter has already made it into the final three, along with two of the three aircraft being offered by US companies.
Of these, Boeing is bidding with its F-15, the US air force's premier fighter, along with the F/A-18, while Lockheed is pitching its F-16, already the most successfully exported jet fighter in history.
In the end, the smart money is on the Americans, largely because Singapore already has F-16s and has signed up as a participant in the JSF programme, an indication that it is looking for a transitional fighter rather than an entirely new line.
Besides, notes Mr Aboulafia, the umbrella of US security still casts a long shadow: "If Singapore gets in trouble, they know no one else is going to send their navy in to help out."
Additional reporting by Douglas Wong in Singapore.
-----------------
Now, what does singapor have to fear from China? Do these two have some type of problem with each other or what?
Why isn't Pakistan in list of countries desperately needing airforce upgrades with new jets?
If rafale has failed, why is it on pakistans list of "next" jet?
If JSF, Euro are on the list for export, why didn't pakistan signed up to get these planes... even though we know pakistan won't get them but still they should try to and sign up like singapor has.
The reason I am bringing this towards pakistan is that its one of the best air forces in the world, pakistani pilots best in the world 2nd to none! Pakistan NEEDS strong airforce and with India creating conventional imbalance in the region-it is a must that pakistan acquires some type of hardware to keep that in check yet no one is willing to sell anything to them and more restrictions are being thrown at pakistani military.
In light of this article, what are the options for Pakistan and countries wanting and needing upgrades for their airforces yet they can't get anyone to sell stuff to them???
