1. Rafale is a `scam' because of the inability of govt leaders to lucidly argue, point by point, WHY Rafale was NOT a scam. This is because defence deals are not run of the mill political fodder. The Cong asks the same questions. The BJP provides elementary answers.
2. @Iyervval's look at the Rafale deal is, to my mind, the clearest explanation of a complex technical-economic subject. Both the Congress and the BJP would be wise to read this to raise their level of discourse on this subject.
3. Without repeating much of what @Iyervval has written, let me try and make a few basic points. Firstly, The Rafales the UPA wanted and could NEVER contract are NOT the same Rafales that the Indian Air Force are now going to get.
4. Lets make it even simpler - If the UPA was negotiating for a Maruti Suzuki Swift LXi, this government has contracted for a Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi. The latter comes with several more features. This makes it more expensive.
5. Why the hell is such an expensive defence deal hidden under a confidentiality pact? Answer - This jet comes with a bunch of stuff onboard that the Indian Air Force wants but no one else has so far. The French DON'T WANT to reveal the cost of developing these systems.
6. Why don't the French want to reveal the cost of these systems? Answer - Because, in the future, French manufacturers want to sell these systems to other countries at a profit. The bargaining position of these companies gets hit if the price they sold these to India is known.
7. So what on earth are these super-secret sub-systems that have jacked up the cost of the Rafale deal ? Answer- They are referred to as INDIA-SPECIFIC UPGRADES, and cost about 1.7 BILLION EUROS, if memory serves me correct. What do they do? Read on ..
8. The India specific upgrades include a Low band jammer, a towed array decoy system, additional modes and greater resolution in the main radar and the Front Sector Optronics System of the jet.
9. "This is all jargon for me.'' Answer - In the simplest terms, these systems enable the IAF Rafale to detect, jam and confuse Pak and Chinese missiles fired at it from the ground, while enabling it to hit targets in the air and on the ground from very long distances.
10. Is this stuff all really worth it? Answer - The Rafale, as configured for India, is more advanced than what the French Air Force operates and is pretty much the gold standard for an aircraft of its size and class.
