PETALING JAYA: Military aircraft manufacturer Dassault
Aviation is upping the ante in Malaysia
with the hopes of supplying its combat aircraft Rafale to the Government, which
considering to retire the ageing fleet of Russian made MIG-29N under the Multi
Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme.
Dassault international executive vice president Eric
Trappier said the company was already meeting with companies that were a
potential for their offset programme, assuming if the Malaysian Royal Air Force
opt for the Rafale.
“We have met a list of companies that have capabilities in
mechanical, electronics and engines, among these are like Global Turbine Asia
Sdn Bhd which is in collaboration with Safran Turbomeca, and Sapura which has
ties with Thales,” he said at a media briefing on Wednesday.
He said the company was also talking with Composites
Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Airod Sdn Bhd, and Zetro Aerospace
Corporation.
The Rafale aircraft with its crew at LIMA 2011 in Langkawi.
“We fully support the Government's offset programme, and we
have initiated talks with companies in the country.
“There is a strong reach from our side to support the
industry here. We feel that the country is capable with the right political
wish to develop the country's aviation industry further,” he said.
Headquartered in Paris, Dassault was chosen by India in
January to supply at least 126 Rafale jets valued at RM30bil, after winning
against rivals Typhoon built by a consortium led by European Aeronautic,
Defence & Space Co (EADS) and BAE Systems Plc.
Touted as the largest military aviation deals in the world,
the India
deal was done after a reportedly exhaustive technical and commercial evaluation
which spread over five years.
It was also revealed that officials from the Defence
Ministry, in a closed door meeting with Dassault, had expressed that it would
take into consideration the Indian government's stamp of approval for Dassault
to supply aircraft for its own decision on the MRCA programme. Potentially
worth RM10bil to RM15bil, the MRCA programme had attracted the attention of
other major companies which are offering their wares like Eurofighter Typhoon
from BAE Systems UK, F/A-18F Super Hornet from Boeing USA and Gripen New
Generation from Saab of Sweden.
“It is difficult to say when the deal would materialise as
there will be the general election in the coming months.
“I don't expect it to be before (the general election). How
much time after the general election is the question,” he said.
Following its Indian win, there have been bouts of merger
and acquisition exercises, one being the planned merger of BAE Systems and the
European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, in a bid to create a global
aerospace and defence leader that would better rival US giant Boeing.
To that end, Eric said: “We are not impressed by the giants,
it can be strong, but it also can be very weak when it gets too big to manage. “For Dassault, we are trying to completely do the opposite,
we are a smaller company and we will focus on technology and expertise.”
According to him, with partners like Thales and Snecma, the company is not
small at all. “We are not a giant, but we are number one in our expertise. And
we are not chasing to be number one in terms of size,” he said, adding that the
company was not trying to be bigger but trying to be better.
Discounting the possibility of chasing for mergers to
upscale its operations.
He said Dassault could have partnerships with the new entity
in the future, but it depended on what the countries related to the merger
wanted to do and collaborate.
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