View Full Version : OMAN CHOOSES TYPHOON
backseatjock
23rd Jan 2012, 11:55
Oman has progressed its previously declared interest in Eurofighter Typhoon and sent a request for proposal for supply and support of the aircraft to BAE. New build aircraft, expected to be 12, with first deliveries said to be three years after contract signature which is itself expected this year :ok:
Good news for the teams at BAE, EADS and Finmeccanica just ahead of expected decision in India and with discussions ongoing in Qatar, UAE and Malaysia.
Alloa Akbar
23rd Jan 2012, 13:25
Not sure the Omani deal will mean new aircraft orders, I believe it's just a reallocation of a cancelled order from elsewhere. Warton still a long way from out of the woods sadly..
Typhoon is a fantastic plane, but hugely expensive and in this day and age, price is king.
In the UK model of siro 75 Harrier to have siro 34 frontline to have siro 18 at readiness from R5 to R0, what does 12 aircraft actually get you?
I am guessing a realistic frontline of eight and a realistic flypro of 4/2/2?
Reinhardt
23rd Jan 2012, 14:02
From what ship will they test the proposed navalised version of the Typhoon ?
Pontius Navigator
23rd Jan 2012, 16:00
orca, in that area it is clearly quality over quantity. There would be no point in having say 100 good fighters if everyone else has 10 very good fighters if you see what I am driving at.
QBS is inclined to buy British, just like his Dad, SBT, who ended his days in a suite of the Dorchester Hotel. Military alliance with the Brits didn't do SBT much good did it?
JFZ90
23rd Jan 2012, 17:26
It's a small order but good news nevertheless. Every order is good. Really hope they secure India but France seem confident.....
Captain Tercrew
23rd Jan 2012, 18:11
After the French catastrophe with Rafale for UAE, Typhoon looks good here.
Fingers crossed, but they drive a hell of a hard bargain.
ghostnav
23rd Jan 2012, 18:27
and don't forget, the India deal would be with thanks to the Germans - not the UK!
Rigga
23rd Jan 2012, 19:20
It's not all about quality (thought that is a major concern) or quantity but also about management and handling of the beasts too.
If the aircraft are not properly managed AND supported (fiscally and physically) from the start they will suffer reliability and configuration problems within weeks of starting training - leading to a poor product reputation delivered through bad end-user management, funding and perhaps planning.
Hopefully the Omanis will pay to obtain the product they want - like all things in aviation, if you don't pay the bill you won't get the service.
Good Luck to them
TBM-Legend
23rd Jan 2012, 19:51
orca, in that area it is clearly quality over quantity. There would be no point in having say 100 good fighters if everyone else has 10 very good fighters if you see what I am driving at.
In the words of a great general quantity has a quality all of its own!
One busted radar,tyre,engine,radio, etc etc in a Typhoon and 10% of the fleet is down...
BEagle
23rd Jan 2012, 21:16
In the words of a great general quantity has a quality all of its own!
Hardly a 'great general' - it was 'Uncle' Joe Stalin!
Pontius Navigator
23rd Jan 2012, 21:22
But Uncle Joe planned to use his toys.
jindabyne
23rd Jan 2012, 22:36
and don't forget, the India deal would be with thanks to the Germans - not the UK!
I take it that's said with tongue in cheek ghostnav!
BEagle
23rd Jan 2012, 23:16
I take it that's said with tongue in cheek ghostnav!
Au contraire, jinda' - much of the Indian interest followed the Luftwaffe's visit to Yelahanka after the IAF, as a partner nation of Internationale Luftfahrtausstellung 2008 at Berlin, offered the Luftwaffe the opportunity to participate in Aero India 2009.
Being German, they don't do things by halves, so they deployed 4 Eurofighters of JG 73 "Steinhoff" 8000 km from the Baltic to India in a couple of days.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/Picture1.jpg
This was the Luftwaffe's first operational trail using the A310MRTT (and its world-beating Mission Computer System!) and was very high profile. Hopefully India will now order the A330MRTT as well as Eurofighter.
Navaleye
23rd Jan 2012, 23:21
It doesn't matter. If they buy it (and don't hold your breath with India) each partner nation still gets to build the same bits.
GreenKnight121
24th Jan 2012, 01:26
QBS is inclined to buy British, just like his Dad, SBT.
So they are buying 12 Typhoon. Those will be nice top cover for their 18 F-16Cblock50 & 6 F-16Dblock50.
Omani F-16 deal means continued wait for Eurofighter (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/omani-f-16-win-delivers-blow-for-eurofighter-366030/)
11:05 14 Dec 2011Oman has placed a follow-on order with Lockheed Martin for a second batch of 12 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters, with the development likely to further delay the UK's hopes of selling the Eurofighter Typhoon to the nation.
Announcing the deal in a 14 December contract notification, the US Department of Defense said Muscat will acquire 10 single-seat fighters and a pair of two-seat trainers under a deal worth $600 million. These will join eight and four of the respective types already in service with the Royal Air Force of Oman.
jindabyne
24th Jan 2012, 10:01
BEags and ghost,
Please cx your PMs
teeteringhead
24th Jan 2012, 11:47
Military alliance with the Brits didn't do SBT much good did it? ... but it did the average Omani in the street a whole lot of good ....
Alliances are surely with states and not individuals? And there are worse conclusions than a suite in the Dorch!
Canadian WokkaDoctor
24th Jan 2012, 13:11
Guys,
The original post stated:
Oman has progressed its previously declared interest in Eurofighter Typhoon and sent a request for proposal for supply and support of the aircraft to BAE.
An RFP is a request for pricing, not a firm commitment to purchase. Has Oman really committed to buy Typhoon?
CWD
GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU
24th Jan 2012, 14:04
I''ll see your Aero India 2009 and raise you a http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/430283-exercise-indradhanush-2010-a.htm Arguably, seeing the machines operate in an exercise has more value than seeing them in an air display?
Regarding the value of any Oman deal to UK/EU PLC, BAES always seem keen to assert that the true value is from the follow on in service support contracts.
No TH.
The Brit presence and influence in Oman was cynical and self-serving. The deposition of Said Bin Taimur (SBT) was orchestrated by a British officer, for political reasons.
The only reason SBT survived the coup and ended his days in London was because his son Qaboos Bin Said (QBS) didn't have the heart to kill his old man.
The subsequent improvement in the quality of life of most Omanis, once the civil war was over, is entirely due to the benevolence of QBS.
teeteringhead
25th Jan 2012, 13:07
The subsequent improvement in the quality of life of most Omanis, once the civil war was over, is entirely due to the benevolence of QBS. ..which was exactly my point SOSL when I said:
... but it did the average Omani in the street a whole lot of good ....
... and of course "Big Q" is not a well man, and with no obvious successor ....