L'Inde

[Haspen]

Bonjour,

désolé pour ma question de noob  :-X

mais sur les 3 photos postées par Actyon, photo du centre :

c'est quoi les 4 gros porteurs que l'on aperçoit en arrière plan ?

Merci par avance :)

[pascal]

Ce sont des Illiouchine 76 un Starlifter à la soviétique

[zx]

J'espère que ca va le faire

http://m.deccanherald.com/content/346703/french-minister-push-rafale-deal.html/?maneref=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FFct2Eviwg4

French Defence Minister Jaen Yves Le Drian is scheduled to visit Delhi later this week, giving rise to speculations of "forward movement” in India’s biggest defence deal to purchase 126 fighter jets from France.

For the last two years, India and France are locked in price negotiation to purchase the medium multi-role fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). French major Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter planes were selected to replace ageing MiG-21s.

The much-awaited deal, sources said, is on the agenda of bilateral talks between Le Drian and his Indian counterpart A K Antony, including National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, between July 25-27.

But there is no confirmation on whether an announcement on finalisation of the deal can be expected by the week-end.

The French minister will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and members of the Parliamentary standing committee on defence, sources said. Dassault Aviation had earlier raised questions on the role HAL would play once the mega deal is signed. But the Defence Ministry is understood to have conveyed to the French company that HAL would be the lead integrator and there was no change in conditions mentioned in the original tender.

As per the tender, Dassault will deliver 18 aircraft in fly-away condition whereas HAL will manufacture the rest under licensed production. The top bosses of HAL and Dassault met last month on the sidelines of the Paris air show to discuss the project and iron out differences. "Both chairmen expressed satisfaction on the work already achieved by the integrated teams and renewed their commitment towards successful completion of various projects,” Dassault said in a statement issued in June.

Though the tender was valued at $ 10.4 billion (Rs 42,000 crore), the price is set to escalate in the final commercial contract, making it India’s biggest defence deal. The new price band may be between $ 17-20 billion, but there is no official word. The sliding rupee will also be taken into account for the new price that is being negotiated for two years.

The French minister will be travelling to IAF station in Gwalior, which houses the Mirage-2000 fleet. In 2011, India signed a Rs 10,900 crore (approximately $ 2.4 billion) agreement with French arms majors Thales and Dassault Aviation for upgrading 51 Mirage-2000 fighters.

[zx]

India, France to discuss Rs 80,000 cr worth defence deals

http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/india-france-to-discuss-rs-80-000-cr-worth-defence-deals_864396.html

New Delhi: Deals expected to be worth over Rs 80,000 crore including supply of 126 Rafale combat aircraft are likely to be high on agenda of French Defence Minister Jaen Yves Le Drian during his three-day visit to India from Friday.

India and France have been busy in negotiating the 126 combat aircraft deal for which the French combat aircraft was selected last year defeating its five other European and American rivals and over Rs 30,000 crore Maitri surface-to-air missile projects.

During the visit of the French Minister, the two sides are expected to discuss the two deals in his meetings with Defence Minister A K Antony and other senior military leadership along with ways of strengthening bilateral ties, Ministry officials said here.

The militaries of the two countries have close ties and hold regular exercises with each other. The Indian Army will be visiting a French military base in September for a company-level exercise, they said.

The French Minister will also visit the Gwalior-based Maharajpur airbase, which is home to the French origin Mirage 2000 aircraft.

The Rafale aircraft deal, which is expected to be worth over Rs 50,000 crore, has been moving at its natural pace and had seen hiccups when the French side asked the Defence Ministry to define the role of HAL.

The deal is not expected to be finalised before the end of this year, officials said.

In the recent times, France has been awarded several key tenders by India including the supply of six Scorpene submarines to the Navy and the multi-billion dollar 126 combat aircraft deal.

The contract worth over Rs 11,000 crore for upgrading the fleet of Mirage 2000 aircraft was also awarded to French firm Dassault Aviation.

[zx]

Dassault espère toujours vendre le Rafale en Inde cette année

http://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/20130725.CHA2639/dassault-espere-toujours-vendre-le-rafale-en-inde-cette-annee.html

"Le Rafale est porté par nos espoirs à l'export et ses succès opérationnels, notamment au Mali, mais une interrogation budgétaire pèse sur les programmes français", déclare le PDG de Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier, cité dans le communiqué. "Il est important de conclure le contrat Rafale avec l'Inde", souligne-t-il.

[French Kiss]

Dans l'article il y a quand meme une phrase qui jette un voile sombre sur les contrats passes avec la France, en faisant l'association Scorpene/Rafale, or le contrat Scorpene en Inde est notoirement considere comme une catastrophe du fait de l'incompetence des chantiers MDL:

"In the recent times, France has been awarded several key tenders by India including the supply of six Scorpene submarines to the Navy and the multi-billion dollar 126 combat aircraft deal. "

On comprend mieux que Dassault avance a pas comptes pour s'assurer que HAL (et sa palanquee de sous-traitants) sera suffisamment competent pour fabriquer et assembler le Rafale...

[Mani]

On comprend mieux que Dassault avance a pas comptes pour s'assurer que HAL (et sa palanquee de sous-traitants) sera suffisamment competent pour fabriquer et assembler le Rafale...

Il vaut mieux effectivement s'assurer de la compétence de chaque partenaire car ça pourrait faire une mauvaise publicité pour la France en cas de mauvaise production du Rafale en Inde.

[actyon]

Reconfigured ASTRA Air/Air Missile to Renew Test Flights on Su-30MKI

India’s first air-to-air Astra missile is finally back on track now after an excruciatingly long delay due to technical glitches. The beyond visual range (BVR) missile, with an eventual strike range of over 100km, will be fired for the first time from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter this year. The Times of India reports.

Astra will have a Mark-I version with a 44-km range, which will be followed by the over 100km Mark-II version. “Astra will be a state-of-the-art missile that will first be fitted on Sukhoi-30MKIs and then Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, followed by others. We are pretty confident it will happen soon,” said DRDO chief Avinash Chander candidly. “The missile was repeatedly failing since the aerodynamically controlled interactions were very severe.” Chander admitted. “Finally, we changed the entire missile configuration. It has now undergone three successful ground trials. It then underwent captive flight trials in a Sukhoi-30MKI this April. We are over the hump now. We hope to actually fire it from a Sukhoi-30MKI by year-end,” said Chander.

With these “developmental flight trials” slated to soon kick off, which will involve a battery of tests covering the entire flight envelope, the aim is to make Astra ready for induction by mid-2015 “if there are no further surprises”, added the DRDO chief.

http://defense-update.com/20130702_astra_aam_test_flight.html

[zx]

Dassault Aviation-La décision de l'Inde sur le Rafale est ferme

http://fr.reuters.com/article/frEuroRpt/idFRL6N0FV2IV20130725?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

Eric Trappier a estimé que les premiers Rafale pourraient être livrés à l'Inde trois ans après la signature du contrat, soulignant toutefois qu'ils ne pourraient pas être prélevés directement sur les chaînes françaises car les appareils doivent être adaptés aux nécessités indiennes dès la première unité.

http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/air-defense/actu/0202917657161-rafale-en-inde-dassault-toujours-optimiste-589790.php

Un point de suivi tous les jours vers midi avec Eric Trappier, le PDG, cinquante salariés mobilisés à plein temps, partage des responsabilités avec HAL, l’EADS local, arrêté : chez Dassault, la mobilisation est toujours aussi forte pour tenter de conclure la vente de 126 Rafale en Inde avant la fin de l’année. Et ni l’approche des élections générales, ni les manoeuvres présentes ou à venir de la concurrence pour faire dérailler l’affaire du siècle ne parviendront à faire changer d’avis New Delhi, affirme le patron de l’avionneur.

« La décision (de choisir le Rafale, NDLR), est ferme. Les élections ne changeront pas la nature du choix », a-t-il indiqué ce jeudi matin, à l’issue de la présentation des résultats semestriels. Si la signature n’intervient pas avant les élections ? Alors « cela se fera après. L’appel d’offres a été long et documenté. Je ne suis pas inquiet », a ajouté Eric Trappier qui met en avant le consensus de la classe politique sur la nécessité de moderniser l’aviation de combat indienne.

Pas d’inquiétude vis-à-vis de la concurrence

Pas plus qu’il n’est inquiet des initiatives que les concurrents pourraient prendre pour tenter de revenir dans la danse en profitant du calendrier électoral. La dernière rumeur en cours fait état de courriers envoyés par un ancien ministre des finances indien au ministre de la Défense actuel mettant en avant le coût élevé du Rafale.

« Je n’ai pas d’information, a répondu le PDG de Dassault à une journaliste indienne qui soulevait ce point. C’est sûr que le choix ne plaît pas à tout le monde », allusion à peine voilé aux Britanniques qui n’ont pas digéré que l’Eurofighter s’incline en finale dans leur ex-colonie.

A en croire Dassault, sauf si les autorités de New Delhi décident de ne plus acheter d’avions - ce qui est toujours possible - rien ne devrait empêcher la conclusion de ce qui s’annonce comme la première exportation du Rafale. Le processus de négociation qui implique plusieurs comités se déroule en toute rigueur, et tout est parfaitement « documenté ». Reste une seule incertitude : quand ?

[Philippe Top-Force]

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/2013/07/26/97002-20130726FILWWW00245-inde-le-drian-veut-approfondir-le-dialogue.php

http://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/23700-jean-yves-le-drian-en-visite-en-inde

http://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/23681-dassault-aviation-continue-d-esperer-les-ventes-a-l-export-du-rafale

[French Kiss]

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/2013/07/26/97002-20130726FILWWW00245-inde-le-drian-veut-approfondir-le-dialogue.php

http://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/23700-jean-yves-le-drian-en-visite-en-inde

http://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/23681-dassault-aviation-continue-d-esperer-les-ventes-a-l-export-du-rafale

On pourrait aussi leur proposer une paire de satellites et qq stations radar non? :lol:

[prof.566]

Garantie gouvernementale sur le contrat indien, signature proche selon manu pubby sur tweeter conf de le drian en inde.

[Darkjmfr]

En gros tout va bien mais "rien ne va plus"

[TMor]

Et A&C qui parle de l'intégration du Kh-31PD sur le Rafale indien...  :O

[Philippe Top-Force]

Et A&C qui parle de l'intégration du Kh-31PD sur le Rafale indien...  :O

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8458/pi3j.jpg

http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/india-france-discuss-rafale-deal-af-pak-situation_864693.html

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130726/france-confident-about-delayed-rafale-sale-india

http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/industrie-lourde/actu/reuters-00538337-dassault-aviation-la-decision-de-l-inde-sur-le-rafale-est-ferme-589788.php

http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/air-defense/actu/0202917657161-rafale-en-inde-dassault-toujours-optimiste-589790.php

[zx]

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130726/DEFREG03/307260012/France-Urges-Early-Signing-Indian-MMRCA-Contract

Le Drian also discussed with Antony the fate of the long pending co-development of the $6 billion Maitri short-range surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) project. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation and MBDA of France propose to develop the SRSAM.

The Maitri missile system will have a range of 10 kilometers and will be capable of moving with mechanized forces. The system would be able to engage aircraft, helicopters, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and all types of airborne targets.

Without naming the Maitri system, the official release of the Indian Defence Ministry said, “The ministers had detailed discussions regarding current and future co-operation in the areas of defense equipment and technology collaboration. They agreed that such cooperation should continue to be progressed to the mutual benefit of both countries, including in high technology areas involving joint research and development and transfer of technology.”

No Indian MoD official would give details of the list of joint development projects discussed between the two defense ministers, but sources said the Maitri missile project was on the top of the agenda.

[zx]

Rafale is as good as any existing 5th-generation aircraft: French defence minister

http://www.hindustantimes.com/editorial-views-on/InterviewsNews/Rafale-is-as-good-as-any-existing-5th-generation-aircraft-French-defence-minister/Article1-1098852.aspx

French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, visiting India at present, spoke to foreign editor Pramit Pal Chaudhuri about the $15 billion (Rs 87990 crore) Rafale fighter deal that is stilling awaiting formal completion and the Indo-French defence relationship.

How would you describe the state of Indo-French defence relations today?

Over the past 15 years,

despite changes in the democratic lives of our respective nations, there has been a steadfast continuity in our strategic partnership.

For me, this is the cornerstone of our relationship. I'd like to pay tribute to the deep commitment and long-term visions of your former prime ministers Inder Kumar Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and, the present incumbent, Manmohan Singh. India and France share the same goal and support each other in strengthening their strategic autonomy.

Our defence relation is a longstanding one, initiated more than 60 years ago with successful joint achievements, such as the Toofan/Ouragan helicopter as early as 1953 or later the Milan missile. I am convinced it will continue to grow in scope, in maturity and in strength.

It is now two years since the Rafale fighter was selected by the Indian defence ministry but the deal is yet to be finalised. What is the reason for this delay and how long is Dassault prepared to wait?

The Rafale was selected in February 2012. Negotiations take time – that's natural, they are progressing well and I am confident.

This is the biggest armament tender of the world, so we have to establish a collaboration with industrial partners that will last for decades and negotiate the clauses of the contract itself.

Dassault is fully committed to this historic and strategic project. I would recommend patience and optimism. As your external affairs minister once said in this regard, "A good French wine takes time to mature and so do good contracts."

The Rafale is principally designed to counter the Chinese Air Force. Yet it is a fourth-generation fighter at a time when China is testing a fifth-generation airplane. Will Rafale be outdated by the time it is fully inducted?

The Rafale is an omni-role aircraft designed to address the entire range of challenges that countries like France, India or others may face. I would take all the excitement about third or fourth or fifth-generation aircraft with a pinch of salt.

As of today, the only operational so-called 'fifth-generation' fighter has never been used in combat. Frankly, in real terms, the Rafale is as good as any existing fifth-generation aircraft.

As the British say, "the proof is in the pudding". The Rafale has been used extensively in Afghanistan, Libya in 2011 and in Mali since January 2013.

Its performance has surpassed expectations. As minister of defence I can testify to its outstanding performance. The Rafale can be upgraded to integrate the latest technologies and it has a clear roadmap for future development. We will partner with India in this endeavour.

The Scorpene submarine's induction is now four years behind schedule. Do you see this as an indication of the technical limitations of Indian defence partners, especially state-owned firms?

During the state visit of president François Hollande in February, I had visited the Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) shipyard to review the progress of the programme.

I was able to gauge its mastery of the manufacture of key equipment. Four years may seem long to you, but this project is a real technological, industrial and human challenge for a company that had stopped building submarines 10 years before.

They had to train the personnel. This is also the first time that the first submarine is being built directly in the client's shipyard. It's a performance whose initial results should be acknowledged.

Here, too, our partnership has been forged for the long term and with trust. This programme proves that, together, we can execute major projects.

France faces greater competition for the Indian defence market than before. Israel and the US are among the new entrants. Is there anything that differentiates France from these other countries when it comes to arms exports?

We competed against the United States and others for the MMRCA tender, and we are currently contending against Israel in artillery and Russia for light utility helicopters. Transparent competition is healthy.

It helps India to secure the most favourable terms and makes the companies outdo themselves to win. French manufacturers are offering their best equipment at the best price. May the best win!

As for the rest, France's position is quite well-known: an unambiguous political commitment vis-à-vis India, unbroken supply continuity – cast your mind back to Kargil, openness to transfer of technology and joint development of new weapons systems with Indian manufacturers, and the certainty of transparency as French law prohibits and punishes corruption. Not a single French company has been blacklisted by India.

The Indian government has announced a new push to indigenise defence production and reduce its arms imports. Would this be an obstacle to France's commercial defence engagement with India?

On the contrary, France is well placed to understand India's resolve. We have ourselves expended much energy and public funds over the past few decades in building an industrial base capable of supporting our own national defence.

This policy continues even today, generating employment and bolstering our economy. International cooperation is an integral part of this strategy. That's what we are quite successfully doing with India, and it's a win-win situation. Scorpene is a good example. Other French companies are ready to embark on such projects, too.

France is the European nation with the largest Indian Ocean military presence. Has India been forthcoming in cooperating with France in this sphere?

For France and India, the security of the Indian Ocean and the adjacent zones, such as the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf, are a shared interest. How can we ensure the security of the Indian Ocean without cooperating with India?

So that's what we are doing – by fighting piracy, through regular naval exercises, the construction of six Scorpene submarines in Mumbai that will be able to patrol in that area and others.

We also have regular exchanges between our military authorities and the French admiral commanding the Indian Ocean maritime zone was recently in Delhi and Goa.

We have a significant military presence with our bases in Reunion, Djibouti and Abu Dhabi. The nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its Rafales will be patrolling the region by the end of this year.

Defence expenditure is shrinking rapidly in the West. Will this endanger France's ability to maintain an independent defence manufacturing base in such circumstances?

The scenario is not that drastic though Western countries are facing the biggest economic crisis in 40 years. President Hollande and his government are implementing several courageous reforms to preserve our social system and improve our competitiveness.

France attaches the utmost importance to her sovereignty and her strategic autonomy. The president has decided to maintain our defence spending for the future, ie $480 billion till 2025.

The French industrial sector is one of the best performing and is capable of adapting to market developments. The state will support it and our defence partners can rely on France.

[Kovy]

Et A&C qui parle de l'intégration du Kh-31PD sur le Rafale indien...  :O

Intéressant ça.

Ce serait le premier missile dédié anti-radar intégré sur rafale. Un beau bébé de 600 kg et 5 m de long.

A noté que la Malaisie fait également partie des utilisateurs de ce missile. une pierre 2 coups ?

[syntaxerror9]

Le Drian a l'air de connaitre ses dossiers, de bien comprendre le monde de l'industrie militaire et le matériel qu'il "vend"!

[zx]

Rafale en Inde : New Delhi et Paris veulent signer un contrat avant la fin de l'année

http://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/20130726trib000777746/rafale-en-inde-new-delhi-et-paris-veulent-signer-un-contrat-avant-la-fin-de-l-annee.html :P

Forcing pour signer avant la fin de l'année

Chez Dassault Aviation, la confiance reste également de mise. Eric Trappier a réaffirmé jeudi qu'il espérait une signature en Inde d'ici à la fin de l'année. « On fait tout pour, on travaille d'arrache-pied", a-t-il expliqué. Il y a en permanence en Inde une cinquantaine de personnes de Dassault Aviation, qui font des allers-retours entre Paris et New Delhi, a souligné Eric Trappier, qui s'y rend lui aussi « régulièrement ». "C'est aussi bon pour ma confiance", a-t-il expliqué. Et de préciser qu'« il y a une forte demande des autorités indiennes pour finaliser avant la fin de l'année ».

Il a ajouté ne craindre ni l'approche des élections dans le pays ni l'éventualité d'un retour dans la course des concurrents de l'avion de combat français. "Je suis peut-être d'un optimisme béat mais, pour moi, le choix du Rafale en Inde a été fait. La décision est ferme. Ils ont un vrai besoin, ils ont fait un long appel d'offres, ils veulent les avions", a estimé le PDG de Dassault Aviation. "Les élections ne m'inquiètent pas, l'appel d'offres (...) n'est pas lié à la politique", a-t-il expliqué. D'autant que, selon lui c'est « une priorité militaire consensuelle parmi les partis politiques indiens ». Enfin, a-t-il martelé, "il n'y a plus de concurrents, le choix a été fait" et il est « documenté ». Face aux critiques sur le prix de la maintenance du Rafale, le patron de Dassault Aviation a assuré que l'heure de vol du Rafale était « maîtrisée et faible »

Pour le KH31PD on pourrait en achter quelques un une fois adapté sur le raffy, ca pourrait etre utile ?

MMRCA deal still some way off as irritants remain

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/mmrca-deal-still-some-way-off-as-irritants-remain/1147195

Though India and France failed to ink the much-awaited $10.4-billion 126 MMRCA deal during the French defence minister's visit on Friday, the two sides discussed military cooperation, including high-technology areas involving joint research and development, and transfer of technology as well as the security situation in the Af-Pak region.

During the 90-minute talks, defence minister AK Antony and his counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, highlighted the ongoing military hardware cooperation, including the Dassault's Rafale combat aircraft deal. Besides the $6-billion Maitri surface-to-air missile defence system, delays in several deals, involving French interests such as the Rs 15,000-crore 197 light utility helicopters (LUH), Rs 7,500-crore six midair refuelers and Rs 13,000-crore six Scorpene conventional submarines, came up during the talks.

The LUH deal, too, has been cancelled twice in the last decade. It is again in a limbo now as the defence ministry has ordered a probe into alleged bribe demanded by an Indian Army Brigadier from the one of the initial bidders -- the Scorpene submarines.

The project, being carried out by French firm DCNS in collaboration with defence shipyard Mumbai-based Mazagon Docks, has been delayed by over four years.

Defence business apart, Le Drian discussed emerging conventional and non-conventional security risk scenarios in the South-Asian region, apart from maritime threats in the Indian Ocean region.

French firm Dassault Aviation bagged the deal for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) last year after being declared the lowest bidder, against EAD's Eurofighter.

The MMRCA deal is "complicated" and the contract has "technicalities and legal issues", including

Ce qui commence à m'inquiéter, c'est que les élections indiennes approchent, pour 2014, j'espère qu'ils signeront avant la fin de l'année, après ils ne contrôleront plus rien

en cas de changement politique. Le fait qu'il en parle n'est pas rassurant. De plus avec la chute de leur devise, le contrat devient de plus en plus cher.

[DEFA550]

Le Drian a l'air de connaitre ses dossiers, de bien comprendre le monde de l'industrie militaire et le matériel qu'il "vend"!

Je pense qu'on peut le mettre sans risque sur le podium des meilleurs mindef depuis 30 ans. Au moins il ne donne pas l'impression d'être juste là pour occuper le poste et de passer son temps à se lustrer les ongles sur le col de son costard. Il bosse, et ça se voit.

[Julien]

Ce qui frappe également dans les interviews de Le Drian c'est l'absence quasi totale de généralités et le recours constant à des exemples précis, concrets et circonstanciés. Il semble en effet très bien connaitre ses dossiers et la défense est vraiment le portefeuille idéal pour lui.

[Nenel]

Et A&C qui parle de l'intégration du Kh-31PD sur le Rafale indien...  :O

N'oublions pas que l'AGM-88 est déjà sur les rangs mais que celui-ci est dépendant du bon vouloir US. Le Kh est la solution de secours dévoilée plus tardivement.

[zx]

Excercice commun en septembre 2013 en France, de puis de Garuda en 2014. on verra peut être les raffy en action

India and France Decide to Broaden Defence Co-Operation

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=97426

India and France Decide to Broaden Defence Co-Operation

Following is the Joint Statement issued after the Defence Talks between India and France here today.

“At the invitation of the Minister of Defence of India, the French Minister of Defence Mr Yves Le Drianis on an official visit to India on 25-27 July, 2013.

Shri A.K. Antony and Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian held detailed and useful talks on regional and international security challenges of mutual interest. They also reviewed the status of various measures for bilateral defence cooperation and the progress in various areas pursuant to their discussions in February, 2013, during the State visit of the French President to India.

The Ministers noted that defence cooperation is an important pillar of the strategic partnership between both countries and that the ongoing dialogue and cooperation is mutually beneficial to both nations. The Ministers also noted that the range and depth of defence exchanges and interactions between the Ministries of Defence and the Armed Forces of both sides is being steadily enhanced in areas of mutual interest and in a spirit of mutual understanding, respect, trust and support, taking account of respective security interests.

The Ministers agreed that exchanges between respective defence institutions and armed forces should continue to be progressed, including in the areas of military education and training and through the conduct of military exercises.

In this respect, the Ministers welcomed the upcoming bilateral exercise ‘Shakti’ in September 2013 in France between both Armies. The Ministers noted with satisfaction that the Navies of both countries are working towards finalising the schedule for the conduct of Exercise ‘Varuna’ off the coast of India and also that the next Air Force exercise ‘Garuda’ would be held during the first half of 2014. With regard to training exchanges, the Ministers noted with satisfaction that officers of the Indian and French Armed Forces have been attending courses in each other’s institutions, including at the French War College in Paris and the National Defence College and Defence Services Staff College in India.It was agreed that such exchanges were beneficial to the building of relations between the Armed Forces of both sides and should continue.

The Ministers had detailed discussions regarding current and future co-operation in the areas of defence equipment and technology collaboration. They agreed that such cooperation should continue to be progressed to the mutual benefit of both countries, including in high technology areas involving joint research and development and transfer of technology.

The Ministers tasked the High Committee on Defence Cooperation (HCDC), which is scheduled to meet in France in October 2013, to follow up the above points and to finalise practical measures to expand and deepen the bilateral partnership in defence.

The French Defence Minister also conveyed that on the 100th anniversary of World War I, France is planning various projects to pay tribute to Indian soldiers who were killed in France during the War. The Indian side appreciated the same.

The Ministers also exchanged views on issues relating to UN peace keeping operations and maritime security.The French Defence Minister also presented France’s new White Paper on Defence and National Security”.

[Gerad]

Ce qui frappe également dans les interviews de Le Drian c'est l'absence quasi totale de généralités et le recours constant à des exemples précis, concrets et circonstanciés. Il semble en effet très bien connaitre ses dossiers et la défense est vraiment le portefeuille idéal pour lui.

Il me semble que la défense est son domaine de prédilection.

Quand on met les bonnes personnes au bon endroit ça va forcément mieux.