By Manu Pubby, ET Bureau | 11 Apr, 2015, 01.00AM IST
NEW DELHI: After a series of twists and turns almost befitting its size, the multi-billion dollar deal for new fighter jets for the Indian Air Force has hit the last mile with a firm political push by the NDA government to iron out differences and wrap up negotiations with an out-of-the-box solution to end a two-year-old deadlock. In the initial phase, 36 Rafale fighters will be bought off the shelf and negotiations will continue for manufacturing more in India at a later stage.
The reworked deal — buying 36 fighters outright with the option for more could be worth up to $7.5 billion — has the potential of pumping in over $2.3 billion into the Indian defence manufacturing sector, a major chunk of which will go to the private industry.
According to the understanding reached, the two sides agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement for supply of the aircraft on terms that would be 'better than as conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway'. This means that the 36 fighters are cheaper than offers made in the past by Dassault.
Buying fighters off the shelf means the delivery would be faster and would meet a time frame set by IAF that urgently needs the aircraft to fill operational gaps. The aircraft would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by IAF during the 2007 tendering process. Sources said separate negotiations will continue at a ministerial level on manufacturing more fighters in India. The total requirement is for 126 fighters.
More:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-to-buy-36-rafale-jets-in-fly-away-conditions-from-france-deal-to-be-worked-out/articleshow/46881597.cms
---
IZAKOVIC
German military to bring back mothballed tanks
Berlin has announced plans to bring dozens of mothballed tanks back into service. There is speculation the move is in response to increased demands from the Ukraine crisis.
More:
http://www.dw.de/german-military-to-bring-back-mothballed-tanks/a-18375092
---
IZAKOVIC
Apparently, Obama, though he says he hasn’t made up his mind about whether to send weapons to Ukraine, actually has and is. He now seems to be quietly trashing the spirit though no provision in the Minsk II truce that was arranged by Merkel, Hollande, Putin, and Poroshenko, and signed by the OSCE, Russia, Ukraine, and both of the rebelling former parts of Ukraine, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic. Obama now appears to be sending heavy weapons to Ukraine, and thus assisting Ukraine to resume attacking the DPR & LPR.
Even conservative Europeans are expressing outrage. Followers of Italy’s Sylvio Berlusconi, and even the leader of Austria’s anti-immigrant “Freedom Party,” are shocked and appalled by this Obama action.
Heinz-Christian Strache, leader of Austria’s Freedom Party, posted online a photo alleged to be of Bradley tanks now on rail-cars in Linz Austria en-route to Ukraine; he estimated 50 of them.
Then, Berlusconi’s Milan newspaper Il Giornale posted this article on Wednesday March 25th:
Sighted in Austria, American tanks: “I direct in Ukraine”
Here are the photos that show the first American tanks traveling to Ukraine
http://rinf.com/alt-news/latest-news/u-s-ships-50-bradley-tanks-to-ukraine-europeans-are-furious/
Euromaidan: Anatomy of a Washington-backed coup d'etat
Joe Quinn
Sott.net
Thu, 19 Feb 2015 21:14 CET
In late November 2013, the 'Euromaidan' in Kiev began as a popular protest against a generalized state of corruption and cronyism in Ukraine. The spark that ostensibly ignited the protests was the inability of then President Yanukovych to sign an EU Association Agreement that would cut Ukraine's economic and military ties to Russia in favor of a closer relationship with the EU and NATO. The EU had made the release of former Ukrainian prime...
Read More - http://www.sott.net/article/292842-Euromaidan-Anatomy-of-a-Washington-backed-coup-d-etat
http://www.jutarnji.hr/odgovor-rimljana--samo-nemojte-vlakom--oni-uvijek-kasne/1299108/
Author: Portal Jutarnji.hr
Posted: 1 h and 19 min
ROME
Statement
self-proclaimed leader of the Islamic state (IS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Ali how Muslims intend to conquer Rome, was repeated these days on
Twitter, where supporters of militants are invited to start using the
hashtag #We_Are_Coming_O_Rome (arrive in Rome).
https://twitter.com/hashtag/We_Are_Coming_O_Rome?src=hash
The
threat from militants, who, obviously, have never been to Rome, has
raised concern in the Italian media, but also ridicule on the local
social networks.
The Romans started to share benevolent advices on Twitter to militants.
One
of them advised them to be careful on the Roman ring road on which they
could find themselves very easily stuck in traffic jam, and the other
warns them not to come by train, since they are always late.
Ukrainian President ratifies joint 4,500-strong military unit with Poland and Lithuania
Published time: February 20, 2015 21:48
Get short URL
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko.(Reuters / Valentyn Ogirenko)
Trends Ukraine turmoil
Tags Arms, Conflict, Europe, Military, Ukraine
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law ratifying the creation of a joint military unit with Poland and Lithuania. The unit is set to carry out tasks which have been given a UN Security Council mandate.
Foreign military threat real, most Russians believe – poll
Published time: February 20, 2015 12:40
Get short URL
Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles during a parade marking the 69th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, on Moscow's Red Square. (RIA Novosti/Alexander Vilf)
Tags Conflict, Military, Politics, Russia
Some 68 percent of Russian citizens hold that the likelihood of foreign military aggression towards their country has increased. At the same time, 49 percent consider the current state of Russian military as ‘good’.
‘United Continent’: European volunteers fighting Kiev troops in Eastern Ukraine
Published time: August 30, 2014 11:02
Edited time: September 06, 2014 09:57
Get short URL
Screenshot from RT video
Download video (25.55 MB)
Trends RT inside Ukraine, Ukraine turmoil
Tags Arms, Army, Conflict, Europe, Intelligence, Military, NATO, Paula Slier, Politics, Security, Ukraine, Violence, War
European volunteers are streaming into Ukraine to join the fighting on both sides. While Kiev’s forces are beefed up with mercenaries from private military companies, Europeans have also come to defend the rebel Donbass region of their own free will.
One of the latest reinforcements of anti-Kiev troops in Eastern Ukraine are four French ex-serviceman who have come to fight this war, thousands of kilometers from home.
“It’s our war. It’s everybody’s war, it’s every European’s war,” Guillaume, a French fighter in Ukraine defending the Donbass region, told RT’s Paula Slier.
French fighter Guillaume. Screenshot from RT video
