Singapore is the "secret" client in a missile deal just signed by French arms group Aerospatiale-Matra Missiles, France's economic daily La Tribune reported Thursday. La Tribune said Singapore had bought the missiles to equip six Lafayette frigates already ordered in March from the French government's Marine Construction Department (DCN) shipyard.
Aerospatiale had already confirmed a report in Wednesday's edition of the Israeli daily Haaretz that it had beat Israeli competition to a contract for sea-to-sea missiles among other items. An Aerospatiale-Matra Missiles spokesman refused to disclose the client or the financial terms of the deal.
The client country had demanded "the greatest secrecy" about the order, the spokesman told AFP.
But the company's contract was less than the reported $700 million (€787 million) because other suppliers were involved in the deal, he added.
Aerospatiale, a subsidiary of the new European Aeronautic, Defence and Space Company, will be selling Singapore Exocet sea-to-sea MM-39 missiles.
Israel's state-owned Israeli Aircraft Industries and privately owned Rafael had been bidding for the contract, Haaretz reported.
The secrecy surrounding the deal once again raised the issue of the lack of transparency in French arms deals. A parliamentary committee on arms exports said last April that current practice was damaging France's reputation and called for greater accountability to the public in such transactions. - (AFP)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
