Chapter 965: Let’s seek the opinions of the Chinese people on this matter
After all, it’s all talk. Although the “cooperative relationship” between Stan Aeronautics and Dassault has been around for a long time, the last interaction between the two parties was, after all, Money and goods have already been settled, and now if you want to find someone else to upgrade to MK1A, you will definitely have to go through the process again.
As we all know, in India, the efficiency of the process... is still a little low.
Even if everyone knows that hiring foreign aid is the only feasible way in front of them, let alone the final decision, just deciding to send a letter of inquiry to Dassault to confirm the intention to cooperate is a complete stretch. It took almost half a month.
When this inquiry letter was actually sent out, 2001 had already passed.
And this time coincides with Christmas, and the French are naturally enjoying the 14-day Christmas-New Year's Day holiday.
It is impossible to go to work.
So, it was not until the end of the first week of 2002, on January 7, that the Professional Client Division of Dassault Group finally reported this inquiry letter to the headquarters.
In fact, generally speaking, this kind of thing is a written process, which is roughly equivalent to "call and ask before visiting an old friend's house."
It is almost impossible to get a no reply.
Especially like LCA, it is said to be joint research and development, but in fact it is entirely Indians who pay for it and Dassault comes up with the solution. The execution is no different from a normal supplier contract.
And due to India’s special national conditions, they are often a very weak party.
Therefore, while waiting for confirmation from the group’s senior management, Cornell Bass, the head of the professional customer division, had already ordered his subordinates to dig out the technical data of the LCAMK1 model from the pile of old papers. And regrouped the people who had participated in this project in the past -
You know, they had just completed the design of the upgraded model of Mirage 2000-9 before the Christmas holiday.
It is also a tailless delta wing, it is also a single-engine light aircraft, it is also a major change from air superiority to multi-purpose, and it also involves structural changes...
It is difficult for Stanair to draw inferences from three cases, but it is not difficult for Dassault to draw inferences from one case.
It’s time to apply the same experience to LCA while your hands are still hot, and then cheat...and make a big sum of money back.
However, no matter how hard they geared up, there was still no reply from the headquarters.
You know, Bass has already decided on the team leadership positions that are going to be sent to India.
This is equivalent to promising a benefit.
But now that even the most basic confirmation of intention is being delayed, he feels a lot of pressure.
So, a few days later, Bass, who was impatient to wait, began to wonder whether the last email failed to be delivered due to some technical reason.
So, the second inquiry letter was forwarded repeatedly.
But still nothing happened.
After receiving no response for two consecutive times, he finally realized that something was wrong with the direction of the wind——
In this case, it is impossible that the above did not receive it.
It is more like preparing for cold treatment...
Actually, what Cornell Bass thought was a bit complicated.
The headquarters has no idea of cold treatment.
It’s just that I haven’t made a decision yet.
In fact, the secretary's office reported the news to Ed Steiner as usual on the day it received the first email.
Under normal circumstances, for this level of business, as long as he gives an approval opinion, it will be fine.
But this time, Ed Steiner specifically found Serge Dassault and briefly introduced the situation to the latter.
"LCA..."
Dassault frowned slightly and flipped through a document in front of him.
The last time the two companies cooperated, his main focus was almost entirely on the municipal elections in Corbeil-Essonne, and he didn't particularly understand the ins and outs of it.
So, when he saw that the first demonstrator of this model rolled off the production line in 1995, but did not make its first flight until 2001, the nearly 80-year-old man shook his hands and almost dropped the documents. on the table.
"This aircraft...were really involved in the design?"
Dassault confirmed a little nervously.
“That’s not entirely true...”
Ed Steiner considered the words:
“We have provided certain technical support in the aerodynamic and structural design of the tailless delta wing. The three-stage leading edge slat is actually a roughly The plan designed for the Chinese people ten years ago has been revised..."
"As for the aircraft itself, uh...in general...probably...it should still be considered designed by the Indians themselves..."
Hearing this explanation, Dassault was slightly relieved.
“Since their second prototype has not yet flown for the first time, why are they so anxious to come to us for upgrades?”
He closed the document, put it aside, and took a sip of coffee to calm down his shock:
"I don't even understand the basic type..." Dassault originally wanted to make a few more criticisms, but then he thought of his own family. Rafale seems to have skipped the F1 stage and is preparing to mass-produce F2 directly, so it suppressed the second half of the words.
“Although our Rafale F1 is manufactured in small numbers, the technology is still very mature...”
He repeated it silently in his heart several times and warned I can never compare myself to Indians.
"The official statement given in the application letter is that the old model cannot meet the current tactical needs."
Ed Steiner shrugged playfully:
"But I guess, The actual reason is probably... I was stimulated by the improved J-10 that the Chinese suddenly put into service a month ago. "
"You know, many people... especially the media, are very willing to put the two of them together. Comparing the countries together, they are all third world countries with a population of about one billion, they are all Asian countries, and they are neighbors..."
"Forget it...they are not on the same level. ”
Dassault almost choked on the coffee in his mouth:
“We and the Chinese people... that is technical cooperation in the true sense...”
After a short pause, he even added Emphasized again:
“Peer-to-peer cooperation.”
Today, one of the two core models of Dassault Group is being jointly developed with others, and the key technology of the engine of the other is in the hands of others. With.
To be honest, it's quite embarrassing.
The only way to save face is to tout the technical strength of China's partners.
It can be said that Dassault now hopes that China can catch up with the Premier League and the United States more quickly than Chang Haonan.
“So, this is also what I am worried about.”
Ed Steiner took the opportunity to express his intention——
The Indian is a fat sheep.
This has been verified by the Russians.
According to information gathered from multiple parties, the unit price of the Su-30MKI sold by Sukhoi to the Indian Army is much more expensive than the Su-27SM/UBM sold to Algeria, even if it cannot use the new generation of enhanced airframe.
The price difference here is nominally "technical guidance fee".
Because Indians require that part of the final assembly work be completed in their own country.
However, judging from Stan Air's past performance, there is still a question mark whether it can guide one, two, and three.
So based on this inference, the LCA upgrade project will definitely be relatively profitable.
But Dassault is currently tied a bit deeply to China, and we still have to think carefully about which one is more important.
Dassault on the opposite side can naturally understand the implication:
“You are worried that the Chinese and Indians will not deal with it. If you provide technical support to the latter on LCA, it will be very difficult. Might it affect our cooperative relationship with China? ”
Ed Steiner nodded, then shook his head:
“It’s not just that…”
“I’m also worried that if we are really deeply involved in this upgrade project, what will happen? I will destroy my own brand..."
The second half of this sentence is obviously mostly a joke.
However, it is very important.
Whether it's a person or a company, they always have face.
If a project is rejected simply because of "Chinese objections", wouldn't it appear that Dassault Group is undervalued?
And explaining it internally also hurts morale.
So, at this time, you need a decent reason to deceive yourself...
As expected, after hearing Ed Steiner's second concern, Da Suo's originally frowning brows relaxed a lot.
"Let's do this."
He put the coffee cup back on the table:
"Don't go through official channels, let people confirm China's attitude on this matter in private."
"As partners, you still have to respect them."
"In addition..."
When Ed Steiner was about to get up and leave, Dassault suddenly stopped him:
“After you go back, do an expected assessment of this project to see if it is likely to harm our company. reputation."
"If the risk is really too great... then we must consider it carefully."
(End of this chapter)