The promotional video was produced by the Israeli arms company Rafael and aired at Aero India 2009 held in Bangalore last month. The video has been derided by some commentators as badly produced and virtually all consider it invariably funny. The StratPost story has made news with the New York Times, with Ronald Mackey writing about it in the blog The Lede, not to mention in other commentaries and observations on the internet.
Israeli arms firm Rafael displayed a Bollywood-style dance number featuring Israeli artists in full Bollywood costume singing in English about the potential for the Indo-Israeli defense trade relationship on large screen televisions at their stall at Aero India 2009 recently.
The Defense Minister AK Antony disappointed the contenders for the 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft contract during Aero India 2009, by declining to fly in any of the planes brought by four of the contenders. The representatives of the companies had hoped to have an interaction with the minister and try and get some hint as to where things where headed with the tender.
The Super Viper is the only single-engine aircraft with an operational AESA radar, which is why Lockheed Martin is assured about their standing in the MMRCA race.
The Australian Trade Commission is present in strength at Aero India 2009, looking to help Australian vendors get a piece of the action as far as India’s aerospace and defense industries are concerned.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is displaying two of it’s old aircraft at Aero India 2009 to allow aviation enthusiasts to savor the IAF’s past, even in the din of the modern-day supersonic fighter jets jetting past. The De Havilland DH82 Tigermoth and Harvard aircraft are on static display at the show.
62-year-old Air Marshal Harish Masand was visibly thrilled at having flown the aircraft, calling it far more comfortable than the earlier MiG-29.
StratPost spoke exclusively to a man who has extensively flown the mainstay of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Mig 21, as well as Saab’s Gripen fighter, one of the contenders for the MMRCA deal. Colonel Petr Mikulenka of the Czech Air Force, spoke to StratPost about his experiences with both aircraft.
The 25 participating countries include UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands and Ukraine. China will be participating at this year’s Air Show for the first time.
