DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Indian Government Sanction $ 1Billion For Navy Aircraft Deal
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - February 27, 2012: The government has finally approved the naval proposal to acquire nine advanced medium range maritime reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft, which will cost upwards of $1 billion, to ensure Indian Ocean can be guarded against both conventional and terror threats.
These MRMR planes will be in addition to the 12 long-range (LRMR) aircraft already being acquired for the Navy at a $3.1 billion price tag. After first inking the $2.1 billion contract in 2009 for eight Boeing-manufactured P-8I LRMR aircraft, which will be inducted in the 2013-2015 timeframe, the defence ministry is now finalizing the follow-on deal for four more such planes.
The MRMR project got the "acceptance of necessity'' from the Defence Acquisitions Council, chaired by A K Antony, last week, sources said. Several global aviation majors, ranging from American Boeing and Lockheed Martin to Swedish SAAB, French Dassault Aviation, Brazilian Embraer and European EADS are in contention for this big contract.
