Impact of Eurofighters in the Middle East

"phil hunt" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 08:23:57 GMT, Tom Cooper wrote:

I'd like to join the opinion: even if I have heard a lots of rumors and
reports about negotiations, the deal wasn't signed yet, and there is no
100%
certainity that anything will be ordered even if something would be
signed.
Norway and Greece "decided for EF-2000" too, but haven't ordered any. The
Austrians have also decided for EF-2000, but ordered some only after
almost
a year of postponnement...

The Austrian and Greek delays have been due to budgetary problems, I
think. I don't see any reason why Greece won't buy Typhoons.

Phil, there is always a similar explanation when a gov wants to find a way
out.

Here in Austria, we spend EUR 40 million a day for stuff that is not needed,
and structures too old and unable to modernize. And still, a majority of the
population is against the EF-2000s, because these should be "unaffordable"
and "too expensive".... The Norwegians don't lack money, but want to save
more for their "future generations", which will have to live with the fact
that their country is not an oil exporter any more. And the Greeks, well,
that's really a special story....

I don't see why SA and Egypt couldn't make modifications ot their
aircraft too, even if they don't have a large electronics industry.

Errr, one remark he doing modifications on the EF-2000 in the field
will
be very problematic. As a matter of fact, the EADS did everything
possible
to avoid the situation with the Tornado IDS/GR.Mks, where meanwhile even
aircraft of different units within the same air force have - in part -
completely different equipment, software etc....

If I was spending millions on fighter aircraft (or on anything)
else, I'd insist I had the source code to the software, so I had the
abilty to alter it. Not only that, there's also security
considerations: if one doesn't have the source code (and even if one
does) there always the possibility that a backdoor's been put in it
-- the original supplier could broadcast a predefined code, which is
picked up by the aircrafts' radars, and makes them work less
efficiently.

Well, that's the difference between the US producers, and the EADS: the last
will have little problems in supplying the full technical and software
documentations to their clients. The US are frequently reluctant to do so.
In the case of the EF-2000 this will be ultimately important to do, as
otherwise the plane would be useless for the end-user.

Or unless the Europeans do.

IMHO, this is the "largest" problem he the Europeans are seriously
negotiating with the Saudis for sale of advanced combat aircraft to SA -
and
without a direct US involvement in the deal.

What about al-Yamamah?

Who cares about the past?

Call this al-Yamamah III if you like. That's the way the Saudis think.

This was not the case ever
since Hunters were sold to the RSAF, in the mid-1960s (even the sale of
Lightnings to RSAF and KAF was actually a US-sponsored deal, organized in
order the British to earn money so they could buy the planned F-111K -
which
never materialized). For understandable reasons, the USA (and even less
so
Israel) are not interested in this deal becoming a reality.

For security reasons? Or commercial ones? Or both?

For all the possible reasons: as first, the Saudis might for the first time
since the WWII buy combat aircraft without the USA having even a slightest
word to say or decide about their decision. The Saudis might get a "full
standard" fighter and not a downgraded "something", like F-15S. The Saudis
will be paying billions of bucks to the Europeans, and not to the USA - and
do this as long as the EF-2000s might be in their service. The USA will have
absolutely no control over these assets in Saudi hands, and thus not be able
to prevent their _eventual_ use against US allies in the area etc., etc.,
etc....

The matter nobody mentioned here, however, is the fact that the Israelis
are
already negotiating a purchase of 50 F-22s from 2007 or so...
Consequently,
it is simply so that "both sides" are planning to continue their
arms-race.

I'm all in favour of arms races if they help British industry.

Well, from what I can understand this is not really the wish of the British
public....

I.e. no real reasons to worry about...

Frankly, when the USA are selling 80 F-16C/D Block 60 to UAE, then there
are
apparently no reasons for concern in Israel or the USA. There are such,
however, when Eurofighters could eventually be sold to SA. How comes
this?

I wonder how much defence contractors donated to the Bush campaign?

Regardless the sum, it's your bet.

Tom Cooper
Co-Author:
Iran-Iraq War in the Air, 1980-1988:
http://www.acig.org/pg1/content.php
and,
Iranian F-4 Phantom II Units in Combat:
http://www.osprey-publishing.co.uk/t...hp/title=S6585