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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| India to get 12 anti-submarine warfare aircraft |
| 2005-02-11 |
| India is mulling the possibilities of procuring eight to 12 units of Orion P3-C, the maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft manufactured by the US company Lockheed Martin. A team of representatives from the company, the US Navy and the US government, will be in Delhi next week for "price and availability" talks, said a news report carried by a leading Indian daily. Jim Kingsley, Business Development Director of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics was quoted as acknowledging that aircraft to be supplied to the Indian Navy would be from US armed forces surplus, but would be "re-winged". The mission systems will be upgraded and along with airframe modernisation the craft would have a service life of 20 to 30 years. "All negotiations on price and other aspects will be taken up next week," he added. An aircraft with configuration similar to what the Indian Navy has asked for is now currently at Aero India Expo, said the report. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has signed a 'Technical Assistance Agreement' with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for maintenance and improvement on the airframes of the Orion P3 range of aircraft, the report added. "Export controlled data on P-3 airframe component design, manufacturing, and overhauling will be shared under this TAA, approved by the US Department of State," Mr Dennys Plessas, regional vice-president of the company said. The agreement does not cover any of the sensor and communications systems of the aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with sonar buoys which will be dropped into the ocean to pick up the movement of submarines. After detection, the aircraft can engage the submarine with a torpedo, the report observed, adding that the plane has 10 hard points to carry air-to-surface missiles and torpedos. It is also equipped with a radar, an ESM (electronic support measures) pod and other systems for signals and communications intelligence. "Even cell phone calls can be picked up by the ESM pod, so air show visitors should be careful about what they say on their cell phones", a Lockheed Martin official said. Lockheed Martin is also offering the C-130 J Super Hercules transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force, the report added. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #2 Interesting given the report of a couple of days ago that the ChiComs sunk an Indian nuke sub. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2005-02-11 5:32:49 PM |
| #1 Whoa! The Paks should go ahead and sell off their fleet and them Chinnee steam kettles don't look so fierce now either. A P-3 takes the entire pot in the Indian Ocean |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-02-11 5:16:38 PM |