Hyderabad: The multi-billion dollar deal
to acquire 126 fighter jets under the medium multi-role combat
aircraft (MMRCA) project is likely to be inked by mid-2011,
Indian Air Force chief said on Saturday.
"It is a big deal. We have finished the evaluation and
the matter is with the (Defence) Ministry now. Hopefully, it
will progress and we will be able to sign the contract by July
next year. After that it takes three years for delivery," Air
Chief Marshal PV Naik said.
He was talking to reporters after reviewing the Combined
Graduation Parade of flight cadets of IAF at the Air Force
Academy in Dundigal, about 35 km from here.
Six global aeronautical firms are in the fray for the
contract for which a tender was floated in August 2007.
The Chief of Air Staff said besides the MMRCA project,
deals for inducting new aircraft were in the pipeline. India
and Russia are jointly developing the fifth generation fighter
aircraft (FGFA). "We will be going in for about 200-250 of
such fighter planes starting from 2017 onwards."
With regard to transport aircraft, the IAF will buy
C-17 American transport aircraft for which negotiations are
going on, Naik said.
"The air force is going in for the Medium Transport
Aircraft in collaboration with Russia. We are also going in
for air to air refueling tankers (Flight Re-fueling Aircraft)
for which we have given a global request for proposal (RFP).
The C-130 J Hercules will be inducted from January," he said.
Evaluation is on to buy attack helicopters and
heavy lift choppers, the IAF chief said.
PTI
