|
India's air force to buy up to 40 non-MiGs
India's air force said on Thursday it plans to sign a deal worth up to 900 million dollars with state-owned aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics to buy as many as 40 supersonic fighter jets. The planes will use GE-404F engines made by US-based General Electric after Kaveri engines developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation suffered development problems, Air Chief Marshal S.P.Tyagi said. The deal would involve a commitment to buy 20 Light Combat Aircraft and an option to purchase an additional 20. "The cost of each aircraft is around one billion rupees (22.9 million dollars)," Tyagi said. He gave no time for the deal to be concluded but said it would be soon. The planes are intended to replace India's ageing mainstay MiG fighter fleet and will take to the skies after 2008, Tyagi told reporters at Aero India 2005, a five-day international aerospace and defence show.Posted by: Steve White 2005-02-10 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=56115 |