Price talks for 126 jets to begin this month: IAF chief
March 10th, 2011 - 9:47 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) India will this month begin the price negotiation for the $10.4-billion contract for 126 combat planes for its air force to conclude the deal by July this year, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik said here Thursday.
“The cost negotiation for MMRCA will begin by the end of this month. I expect the contract to be signed before I retire from service in July this year,” Naik, who interacted with the capital’s women journalists, said.
India is buying 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for which it issued tender in August 2007. The six contenders for the contract, described in defence circles as ‘mother of all deals’, are American majors Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Russian United Aircraft Corporation, French Dassault, European consortium EADS-Cassidian and Swedish Saab.
Boeing’s F/A-18, Lockheed Martin’s F-16, United Aircraft Corporation’s MiG-35, Dassault’s Rafale, EADS-Cassidian’s Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab’s Gripen are the fighter aircraft in the fray.
The chosen combat jet will be the mainstay of IAF’s fighter aircraft fleet for the next 40 years. The new MMRCA will replace the IAF’s existing fleet of MiG variants.
- India to pick combat fighter by mid-December - Nov 18, 2011
- Defence ministry panel to consider combat jet deal next month - Sep 22, 2011
- India set to pick $10.4-bn combat plane deal winner - Oct 07, 2011
- France's Dassault wins India's $10.4 bn combat jet deal (Roundup) - Jan 31, 2012
- All vendors given reasons for combat jet short-listing: IAF chief - May 02, 2011
- EADS, Dassault asked to extend combat jet bids till December - Apr 28, 2011
- France's Dassault wins India's $10.4bn warplane deal (Intro Roundup) - Jan 31, 2012
- IAF to seal combat plane deal in November - Oct 08, 2011
- India set for last lap in $10.4-bn combat plane tender - Nov 03, 2011
- Combat jet tender: India to finalise lowest bidder in six weeks - Jul 26, 2011
- IAF on cusp of acquiring cutting edge combat jets - Oct 25, 2011
- New planes' induction will reduce air crashes: Antony - Feb 05, 2011
- Envoy pitches for US planes in $10.4-bn deal - Mar 09, 2011
- Ratan Tata co-pilots Boeing fighter at air show - Feb 10, 2011
- India opens combat plane tender bids; cost to go up - Nov 04, 2011
Tags: air chief marshal, aircraft corporation, aircraft fleet, combat aircraft, combat jet, combat planes, dassault, eads, eurofighter typhoon, european consortium, fighter aircraft, gripen, lockheed martin, mainstay, mig 35, mother of all deals, naik, price negotiation, rafale, women journalists