Month: April 2011

Stricken MMRCA vendors not walking away yet

The spurned vendors and countries failing to receive invitations by the Indian Ministry of Defense to extend the validity of their commercial bids for the Indian Air Force (IAF) tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), which expired on Thursday, have issued cautious responses indicating that they do not consider the matter closed and that there is, still, much left to be discussed.

EF, Rafale to extend MMRCA bids’ validity to year-end

The Indian Ministry of Defense has asked the European Eurofighter Typhoon consortium and the French Dassault to extend the validity of their commercial bids for the Indian Air Force (IAF) tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender till December 31, 2011. StratPost reported the formation of an effective shortlist for the tender,…

US ambassador to India resigns

According to a release issued by the US Embassy in New Delhi, “US Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer today
announced his resignation from the post of Ambassador to the Republic of India, to be effective at the pleasure of the President. Ambassador Roemer is expected to leave India in June.”

Indian military delegation to visit China

India will send a military delegation to China later this year, signalling resumption of defence exchanges between the neighbors after an eight-month hiatus due to denial of a proper visa to an army commander from Jammu and Kashmir last year, officials said Wednesday.

India selects EF, Rafale for MMRCA shortlist

StratPost can also confirm that according to the IAF and the ministry, the other aircraft in the fray, the US Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, the US Lockheed Martin Corporation’s F-16, the Russian MiG-35 and the Swedish SAAB’s Gripen did not pass the technical evaluation conducted by the IAF.