According to a report by "India Defense Wings" on November 26, there are reports that Armenia has suspended its procurement negotiations with India after the crash of the Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Air Show. It is said that Armenia had originally planned to purchase a batch of Tejas Mk1A fighter jets for $1.2 billion.

In response, Indian media refuted the rumors, stating that there was no so-called suspension or freeze of negotiations, and gave a reason that was hard to doubt: India had never engaged in any form of consultation with Armenia regarding the Tejas fighter jet.

Indian defense industry sources pointed out that such unverified information has occurred repeatedly in recent years. The common pattern is to use fragmented content to create the illusion of export setbacks, thus affecting India's image in the international market.

The Indian government stated that the production plan of Saras Aerospace has not been affected, and deliveries to the Indian Air Force are proceeding. The export channels remain open, and there is no situation where confidence has been shaken by Armenia.

Site of the Tejas crash

India's response logic makes sense; it denies the collapse of talks by saying there were never any discussions. If there was never an order, then naturally there would be no suspension. If there was no communication, then there would be no discussion about cancellation.

This way of expressing things turns the event from an export obstacle into false reporting, and tries to take control of the narrative framework of India itself.

At the same time, the Indian defense industry also used this opportunity to emphasize the resilience of the Tejas project domestically. Saras Aerospace emphasized that the production line is stable, and the scheduling and testing plans for the Mk1A are still being advanced.

Potential customers including Malaysia, Egypt, and Argentina are still seen as possible future partners.

India's response did not focus on why there was no customer from Armenia, but instead emphasized the good condition of the Tejas project to shift the focus of public attention, trying to move the discussion from export difficulties to being defamed, and transforming the non-existence of orders into an opportunity to show confidence.

Tejas Fighter Jet

This logic is obviously laughable, and India's proud attitude only makes it more confusing.

What is there to be proud of if there is no export negotiation? That is equivalent to no loss in exports.

The Tejas project has been promoting to multiple countries in recent years, but it has failed to sell. Faced with this reality, India does not explain the gap from the perspective of industrial capacity, technological maturity, or the advantages of competitors, but tends to use a more lenient narrative to maintain its unbeaten image.

When exports have not broken through for a long time, India highlights the strong interest of multiple countries, without mentioning delayed tenders or technical requirements gaps; when there are doubts or criticisms, India focuses on the bias of outsiders or the so-called media misinformation, rather than the bottlenecks in the industrial structure.

This time, the rumor about Armenia reflects the long-term operation style of this narrative approach. Since there is no order, India can claim no loss, and the crisis is portrayed as an opportunity to prove that the enemies are jealous of India.

Modi riding the Tejas Fighter Jet

It must be said that India's ability to shift contradictions is there, but no matter how much it shifts, it cannot change the fact that the Tejas crashed at the air show.

India's long-term difficulties in fighter jet exports did not start with whether or not there were negotiations with Armenia, nor will they end with this incident.

The entire event exposed not India's composure, but the narrative anxiety formed after long-term export pressure and the habit of avoidance.

India is unwilling to admit the situation of the Tejas fighter jet in international competition, nor is it willing to touch the limitations of capacity, technology, and support systems. Therefore, it chose a safer path: denying, shifting, and emphasizing domestic demand to weaken external doubts.

But this will not make India actually sell the fighter jets.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7577302218043327012/

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