Qatar cancels Nexter VBCI deal | World Defense

Qatar cancels Nexter VBCI deal

Scorpion

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Is the Nexter VBCI silted in Qatar?

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Serious concerns of Paris on the prospect of VBCI (Nexter) in Qatar. Florence Parly goes there Monday to try to see more clearly and to clear the ground. In question, the German Rheinmetall, who has never confessed defeated.
The file is worrying in France. And not a little. While the armored infantry combat vehicle ( VBCI ) manufactured by Nexter and armed with MBDA's MMP missile appeared to be on a ballistic orbit in Qatar with a potentially announced contract on December 18, National Day, headwinds of Doha have recently showered the optimism in which the French bathed since September. Yet in other Franco-Qatari issues, everything is going well, it is observed at La Tribune.
At the end of the summer, everything seemed largely marked or almost, especially after the visit of the Emir of Qatar in France, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, who had lunched on 19 September with Emmanuel Macron. And nothing could derail the VBCI's (first eight-wheeled 28-ton armored) export contract in a highly competitive market segment. But this does not seem to be the case when the team of France respected the requests that had fixed the Qataris.
Florence Parly to clear
According to sources interviewed by La Tribune, Qatar would question the platform itself, the VBCI Nexter, and look at the Boxer (Rheinmetall and Krauss-maffei Wegmann). No more no less. Some undermining could have been done by competitors, including Rheinmetall, who never accepted the Doha choice, they say. Others suggest a tactic of negotiation by the Qataris, who have always been very good negotiators. Or is it finally because of the indictment of PSG president , Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, very close to the emir of Qatar? In fact, no one in France really seems to know what is happening on this contract that France is firmly committed to.
This is why Florence Parly will try to see more clearly and elucidate the demands of the Qataris during her tour of the Gulf, where she will make a stop Monday in Doha. The Minister of the Armed Forces will try to remove ambiguities, so ambiguous there are, during his meetings with the Emir of Qatar, and Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for the Affairs of the Defense. A failure would be strongly felt by Paris. In December 2017, the Qatari Ministry of Defense signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Nexter in the presence of Emmanuel Macron. An order that was estimated at the time by the Elysée to 1.5 billion euros.
The shadow of Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall knows Qatar well, especially the Qatari army. The German group has already sold in Doha in March 2013 62 Leopard 2A7 tanks and 24 PzH200 artillery pieces in particular. For the Boxer in Qatar, Rheinmetall got the support of the German state, which forbids him to export to Saudi Arabia. Result, the device (lobbying, expertise ...) of Rheinmetall has since largely toppled from Saudi Arabia to Qatar. In particular, the experts from Rheinmetall International Holding (RIH), a subsidiary based in Zurich, were sent to Doha .
The former head of RIH, John Taylor worked since January as a consultant at Barzan after three years as head of the subsidiary Rheinmetall. Finally, the lobbying of Rheinmetall could also go through BAE Systems with which the German group has recently created a joint venture. In short, Nexter feels the warm breath of Rheinmetall on his neck ..
 

UAE

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Qatar probably short on money. It was a stupid deal if you ask me.
 
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