OFFICAL IAF STATEMENT ON RAFALE DEAL APRIL 8TH

[shree835]

OFFICAL IAF STATMENT ISSUED TODAY (08/04/2013):

THIS IS CALLED JUMPING JAPAK THUMPING THAPAK NEWS.

GILI GILI YA.

 

[Abingdonboy]

Sorry for raining on everyone's parade, but:

1) I don't see any official press release about this, one way or the other. Other that the livefist page linked above, I don't see any other website or mainstream media carrying this. The IAF's website and its press release section has no such info. If IAF decides to release an official statement, it would not do so through Shiv Aroor's 'Livefist'. It has better avenues to release info, either their own website, or press conferences (which will be covered by the mainstream media, not just by a blogger.)

2) Indian armed forces are notoriously publicity shy. They do not have an equivalent of Pakistan's ISPR. They don't officially comment on any major issue, let alone comment on media reports and speculations. I seriously doubt that they would confirm or deny the recent speculations and reports regarding backup plans of MKIs. If they do, they will do it through their own website, NOT livefist.

Although I believe the truth of the assertions of this thread, I doubt that any of it came from the IAF. Most likely, it is Shiv Aroor's counters to the rumors and speculations; but not the IAF's.
@Abingdonboy: Where exactly did you see this 'official statement', other than in Shiv Aroor's blog?

I received this statement in an email from a friend of mine with contacts in the Indian defence industery.


As much as I don't like Shiv Aroor if he is claiming this from the IAF then i have no reason to doubt him.

 

[Nishan_101]

I think this can really help both like:
100 Jas-39 Grippen
100 EF-2000s
or even like:
50 Su-35s
50 MiG-35s

 

[Abingdonboy]

In fact the article is more worrying.

Not only the Big issues like HAL's responsibility has been addressed.

Even the comparatively smaller issues like Pricing & support services haven't been finalized.

This after nearly 14 months from the date Rafale was announced as the winner of MMRCA.

I don't know about this, this is a general comment. Let the guys who get paid to worry about this worry about the details. Until I hear otherwise, the deal , in my mind, is a few weeks/months away from being signed.

 

[INDIAISM]

To be frank i will prefer MoD scraping MMRCA deal and putting LCA Mk2 ,AMCA project in high priority list....Don't forget guys 20 Billion dollars is realy a huuuuge amount...

 

[shree835]

Negotiations For Rafale On Track, No Back-up Plan: IAF

Responding to a report The Pioneer today that it had lined up a purchase of additional Su-30MKIs in the event that negotiations for 126 Rafales failed to result in a contract, the Indian Air Force has issued a statement to say:

"Apropos a report in a certain section of the media indicating IAF will opt for Sukhoi-30 if Rafale deal falls flat as on 08 Apr 2013. The IAF strongly denies such report. The CNC (Contract negotiations committee) process for acquisition of 126 MMRCA is underway and there is no thought process for any procurement as a ‘back up’ as reported."

Livefist: Negotiations For Rafale On Track, No Back-up Plan: IAF

 

[janon]

I received this statement in an email from a friend of mine with contacts in the Indian defence industery.

As much as I don't like Shiv Aroor if he is claiming this from the IAF then i have no reason to doubt him.

That still does not make it an official statement from the IAF.

If I know the Indian armed forces, they will NOT make any official statement about rumors in the media, whether to confirm or to deny. It is very rare to find them put out official statements about anything. In India, like in any democracy where civilians reign supreme, it is the ministry of defence that makes official statements on issues of public interest. And even India's MoD is very camera shy, always shirking publicity.

The IA or IAF or IN are quiet professionals, silent killers. They hardly ever interact with the media, unlike ISPR and such organizations. The IAF will not spend time and energy in trying to quell a rumor, least of all one propagated by "daily pioneer". Seriously, how many of us have even heard that name?

For the IAF to respond to newspapers or websites like "daily pioneer" would fly in the face of their reputation, which is one of being a quiet, non publicity seeking, mute, reserved and taciturn force that speaks only through actions and not through words or sound. They only make themselves heard when they blow up muntho dhalo or explode LGBs on the mountains of the Himalayas.

It would be unbecoming of the Indian air force to respond to or concern themselves with such rumors. It would be beneath them and their reputation.

 

[Abingdonboy]

That still does not make it an official statement from the IAF.

If I know the Indian armed forces, they will NOT make any official statement about rumors in the media, whether to confirm or to deny. It is very rare to find them put out official statements about anything. In India, like in any democracy where civilians reign supreme, it is the ministry of defence that makes official statements on issues of public interest. And even India's MoD is very camera shy, always shirking publicity.

The IA or IAF or IN are quiet professionals, silent killers. They hardly ever interact with the media, unlike ISPR and such organizations. The IAF will not spend time and energy in trying to quell a rumor, least of all one propagated by "daily pioneer". Seriously, how many of us have even heard that name?

For the IAF to respond to newspapers or websites like "daily pioneer" would fly in the face of their reputation, which is one of being a quiet, non publicity seeking, mute, reserved and taciturn force that speaks only through actions and not through words or sound. They only make themselves heard when they blow up muntho dhalo or explode LGBs on the mountains of the Himalayas.

It would be unbecoming of the Indian air force to respond to or concern themselves with such rumors. It would be beneath them and their reputation.

I believe this was the comment from a high-ranking IAF official when questions on this specific article were raised. Like you say, the Indian military is kept away from the limelight and media as much as possible but this leads to the situation where, when, during offical occasions, a high-ranking military officer invites questions from the media they are bombared by questions that cover a whole range of military question unrelated to the even they are attending. Most of the quotes we see from the high-ranking Indian military officers come out this exact way.


Now I don't think Shiv Aroor has just pulled this news out of his behind. Let's wait for the dust to settle.

 

[sancho]

India, Dassault agree to set aside divergences, move ahead in other areas

India and French firm Dassault Aviation today decided to keep aside their sharp differences over contractual obligations and move ahead on the other aspects of the deal to procure 126 multirole combat aircraft for the IAF...

...During the contract negotiation committee meeting today, the two sides agreed to keep their discussions pending on the issue of having separate contracts and the role of HAL in the deal and move ahead on other things such as pricing and support services, sources told PTI here today...

...The French firm has already agreed with the Defence Ministry's demand for having one contract with the four major firms involved in the deal, including MBDA, for the weapons package for the aircraft instead of four separate contracts, they said.

The firm is understood to have agreed to the Defence Ministry's demand on the issue after the involvement of French government.

India, Dassault agree to set aside divergences, move ahead in other areas - The Economic Times

 

[janon]

I believe this was the comment from a high-ranking IAF official when questions on this specific article were raised. Like you say, the Indian military is kept away from the limelight and media as much as possible but this leads to the situation where, when, during offical occasions, a high-ranking military officer invites questions from the media they are bombared by questions that cover a whole range of military question unrelated to the even they are attending. Most of the quotes we see from the high-ranking Indian military officers come out this exact way.


Now I don't think Shiv Aroor has just pulled this news out of his behind. Let's wait for the dust to settle.

I'm sure that the contents of this blog post is true, that India is not negotiating for more MKIs or having second thoughts about Rafale. But to call it an 'official' statement would be a stretch. The IAF never releases any statements about its acquisitions or operations or accomplishments - the only statements that they officially release to the public are pedestrian news items that would be too mundane to be carried on the local pages of a local newspaper. Check out all their recent press releases, for example:

Error Page

(Note that the title of the page itself says "error page"; an indication of the lack of the armed forces' interests in publicity)

Like its sister services, the IAF never boasts about its accomplishments or makes a fuss about its woes. It speaks through action alone. The shiver that it sends down the spines of its enemies is always louder than its own boasts, in stark contrast to the jernails and kernails of nearby countries, who are all familiar faces on TV and spend more time cultivating their image in the media than a presence on the ground.

About the whole MRCA saga, I think we should all refrain from speculations and counter speculations. In another month or so the decision will be taken. Until then, there will be no info released publically, so the best we can do is to argue with each other about the outcome. A better alternative for us is to let the professionals in the MoD negotiate the deal to its conclusions.