Blog: Another strange arms marketing promo

Disclaimer: StratPost has not edited this video

If you’re an Indian and watching this video, you could be forgiven for checking for the source of the trumpets. Perhaps you’ve left some other tab open on your browser, or they’re celebrating Independence Day (August 15th) in your neighborhood early this year.

No sir. It’s part of the video. This is how the French shipyard Chantier Naval Couach marketed its Fast Interceptor Craft to the Indian Navy. The navy ordered 15 of the vessels and the first three were inducted last month.

The video and music is synchronized initially so you almost expect a film by some self-aware Bollywood studio to be announcing its production.

The song itself was sung by Mohammed Rafi and is one played often at patriotic occasions like Republic Day or Independence Day at public places. It is from a 1964 film called Leader (as in, political leader) starring Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala Bali.

‘We absolutely cannot erase our freedom‘ is how the song begins. And while the video shows the boat conducting some slick maneuvers, the music is a little…well, perhaps they could’ve used stock music.

Defense industry sometimes ends up doing some strange things, in their attempt to get a piece of one of the largest arms markets in the world. The video produced by the Israeli arms firm Rafael stands out particularly in the annals of defense industry marketing. StratPost reported about that a couple of years back. Remember?

Anyway, as we reported last week, a second Indian Navy order for 80 FIC boats has gone to Solas Marine Lanka, the Sir Lankan unit of a Dubai-based ship-builder. The decision probably had nothing to do with this video.

Sic transit gloria mundi.