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Pentagon okays leasing two military planes to India
The US Defense Department on Monday told the Congress that it had approved the sale to India of logistics support worth $133 million for two Lockheed Martin Corp. P-3C reconnaissance aircraft it plans to lease."The two leased P-3C aircraft will replace two existing Indian Navy patrol aircraft, Soviet-built IL-38 May aircraft, which are quickly reaching the end of their fatigue and operational service life," the Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said yesterday. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the logistics support includes training devices, operations and maintenance training, as well as spare parts. Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed would be the prime contractor, which DSCA said would help improve India's security, while at the same time strengthening the US-India strategic partnership. Congress has 30 days to block the proposed sale, although such action is rare. The United States and India signed a military cooperation pact in June that opens the way for stepped-up weapons procurement as well as cooperation on missile defense. The DSCA said India needed aircraft for land-based maritime patrol and reconnaissance against submarines and surface warfare ships as well as to protect its economic exclusion zone. "Modernization will enhance the capabilities of the Indian Navy, support its regional influence and meet its legitimate self-defense needs," the agency said. Posted by: john 2005-11-15 |
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