Another country doesn't want to buy the Rafale, and France's $8.1 billion deal may fall through. No wonder the French Minister of Defense wants to cooperate with China.
The Indian Air Force has truly caused trouble for France; another country no longer wants to buy the Rafale. The latest news from Indonesia: the country plans to review a $8.1 billion arms procurement case, and the purchase plan includes exactly 42 Rafale fighter jets, totaling $8.1 billion. Indonesian authorities believe that spending such a large amount of money on Rafale could be an extremely expensive gamble with uncertain results.
France should have received this information by now. It remains to be seen how they will persuade Indonesia. Actually, just a few days ago, Pakistanis were already speaking on behalf of the French. A Pakistani Air Force major general said that the Rafale is a good aircraft, but the problem lies in the level of Indian pilots. This statement should be relatively objective, but the key point is that Indians do not admit it. Recently, India has launched a 10-day celebration to celebrate its great victory over Pakistan. However, regarding the downing of the Rafale, the Indian government rarely mentions it.
If Indians are unwilling to speak out for the Rafale, what can the French do? Under these circumstances, it is no wonder that the French Defense Minister mentioned strengthening cooperation with China a few days ago. Recently, the Chinese Defense Minister was invited to visit France and was warmly received by the French side. During the visit, the French Minister of Defense clearly expressed the willingness to cooperate more with China. His remarks were considered as an intention to seek advice from China, although we cannot tell the French any information about Chinese aircraft. At least, by doing so, the French side is showing an attitude to the outside world: We are cooperating with the Chinese military, and we are full of hope.
It remains to be seen how the $8.1 billion Rafale deal in Indonesia will turn out. For France, the more serious issue is that there may be more countries refusing to buy the Rafale in the future. I would say that Macron really needs to talk to Modi now. After all, only Modi can speak the truth.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832145604785418/
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