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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| India considering buying F-16 fighter aircraft: Air Force chief |
| 2005-04-26 |
| NEW DELHI - India is waiting for a reply from U. S. F-16 maker Lockheed-Martin, one of the four major fighter aircraft manufacturers it has approached to buy 126 multi-role combat aircraft costing billions of dollars, India's air force chief said on Tuesday. "We sent out a request for information to Lockheed-Martin. We are awaiting information from them," Air Chief Marshal S. P. Tyagi, the Indian air force chief, told reporters. The air force has asked Lockheed-Martin for details on the potential cost and delivery schedule of the aircraft - information it has already received from the other manufacturers, an air force officer said on condition of anonymity. India is also looking into the Swedish Gripen, the French Mirage and the Russian MiGs. In the meantime, the Bush administration informed India that it had authorized Lockheed-Martin to compete for the IAF orders, Tyagi said. U.S. aircraft manufacturers such as Lockheed-Martin have required government approval to pursue such orders since America lifted an embargo on arms sales imposed after New Delhi conducted nuclear tests in 1998. India has been a key customer for Russian weapons since Soviet times, but after a Cold War estrangement it is now seeking weapons from the United States as well. The Indian Air Force has been plagued by frequent crashes, particularly among its aging Soviet-made MiGs. It also has British Jaguars and Mirage fighters in its fleet. At least 50 pilots have died in more than 100 MiG crashes in the past six years. The government says human error caused most of the crashes, although technical problems have also been blamed. Last year, India placed an order for 66 Hawk jet trainers from British BAE Systems. India doesn't have an advanced trainer aircraft to match its combat planes. Indian pilots learn on slow-moving trainers, then move directly to faster and more complicated jets such as MiGs and Mirages. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Hell ya! Sell 'em the F-16s and keep them able to make China nervous about it's western border and the Islamists behaving for fear of getting stomped. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-04-26 10:22:51 AM |