Amidst an intense competition for India’s lucrative aircraft market, defence minister AK Antony asserted that we no more want to be just a buyer.
Defence Minister AK Antony voices Indian’s plans for the future at the air show
With world’s finest fighter jets in the backdrop and amidst an intense competition for India’s lucrative aircraft market, defence minister AK Antony asserted on Wednesday that the country no more wants to be just a buyer in the market, but a developer and collaborator of military technology.
Antony was inaugurating the 7th Aero India exhibition at the Yalahanka airbase. India’s desire to be part of development of futuristic military systems, will be reflected in all military contracts to be signed in the future, he said. India was speeding up its negotiations with Russia to jointly develop a fifth generation fighter, he said.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Defence Research and Development Organisation would partner with Russian companies to develop a Sukhoi design into next generation fighter, he said. The minister said his government would give top priority to transparency, but he assured the military that it “won’t be at the cost of modernisation.” Asserting that the government had made progress in improving relations with all its neighbours, he said “eternal vigil” must be maintained.
The eagerly awaited Request for Proposal (RFP) for the purchase of 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft for the Indian Air Force, would soon be issued, he said adding that the work for the RFP for the contract worth over $7 billion (over Rs 31,000 crores) would be issued soon. It would be among world’s largest military contracts in recent memory.
With a sharp eye on that contract, the Russians have flown in a MIG-35, the modern version of the MIG-29 that they are offering India, while Sweden has flown across three of its single-engine Gripen fighters. The Americans have fielded both F-16 and F-18 fighters, and have even roped in Ratan Tata to take a ride in one of them. European BAE system, which has developed Eurofighter Typhoon in a cross-European collaboration, has also jumped into the fray, but hasn’t fielded one of them.
The helicopter manufacturers too are competing to hard sell their wares as India begins massive purchase of helicopters, expected to run into a few hundred in all. From attack helicopters to VVIP copters, military and civilian agencies are already looking around.
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