Dassault: Romania wants cheap, "second-hand" fighter aircraft

The representatives of France-based Dassault, manufacturer of the Rafale fighter aircraft, say the reason why they are not in the race for modernising the Romanian fleet with fighter aircraft is that state representatives seek cheaper, second-hand aeroplanes. “Romania wants cheaper, ‘second hand’ aircraft. We would have wanted to sell Romania this type of aircraft, but it is not possible under the circumstances,” Dassault representatives, in attendance at this year’s largest international aerospace fair, Paris Air Show. The fight over the 4.5 billion-euro contract for modernising Romania’s military air fleet therefore involves Eurofighter Typhoon of Italian-based Alenia Aeronautica and two lighter aircraft powered by one engine, F16, manufactured by US-based Lockheed Martin and Jas 39 Griffin, by Sweden’s Saab.