IAF to acquire 126 multi-role combat jets

BANGALORE: The procedure for purchasing 126 multi-role combat jets for the Indian Air Force is at the final stage and will be completed shortly, Defence Minister AK Antony said on Wednesday.

"The procedure for acquisition of 126 multi-role aircraft is at the final stage. I can assure that a decision in this regard will be taken very quickly," he told reporters during a press conference at the Aero India show that he inagurated here on Wednesday morning.

Several frontline jets made by global aviation majors, including the F-16 and F-18 of the US, Sweden's Gripen and Russia's MiG-35, are in the race for the contract.

Antony also said India's light combat aircraft project is very much on and 'there is no question' of it being abandoned.

Antony said during the 11th Plan, defence equipment worth eight to 10 billion dollars would have to be procured.

"For that, procedures are going on. In future, we do not want to continue only as a buyer. We want to establish a new relationship for joint design, co-production and joint development," Antony said.

"Hereafter, we are not willing for a buyer-seller relationship. We want to partner in technology development, production and manufacture," he said.

Referring to the development of a fifth generation fighter, Antony said the project would be taken up by Russia's Sukhoi and HAL, and the Defence Research and Development Organisation would also be involved. "We are very serious about that."

Asked about China 'killing' an ageing satellite by firing a missile from the ground, he said it was not the only country to have done this. "Some other countries have also done it. We are against the weaponisation of outer space," he said.

On the creation of an aerospace command, Antony said there was a proposal for this but the government had not taken a decision on it. "It should be a tri-services command," he remarked.