India signs biggest ever defence deal with US

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Posted: Monday, Jan 05, 2009 at 1651 hrs IST
Updated: Monday, Jan 05, 2009 at 1651 hrs IST

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New Delhi: In its largest defence purchase ever from the US, India has signed a deal to buy eight maritime aircraft from aerospace major Boeing to strengthen the Navy's intelligence gathering capabilities.

The USD 2.1 billion contract for eight Boeing P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft was signed between a Defence Ministry official and Boeing's country head Vivek Lall here on January 1, Navy and industry sources said in New Delhi on Monday.

The government had approved the deal in its last Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in 2008 after protracted talks.

The deal with Boeing, sources said, was through a direct commercial contract and issues such as end-user verification agreement between India and US for these defence products were still pending, sources said.

The Navy will get its first aircraft under the deal by 2012-13 and the rest of the aircraft would be delivered in phases by 2015-16, sources said.

The contract also provided for the Navy to place follow-on orders for about eight more of these aircraft, being purchased to replace the existing fleet of eight ageing Tupolev-142M turboprops.

The P-8I is armed with torpedoes, depth bombs and Harpoon anti-ship missiles and is capable of anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare.

Expected to help in plugging the existing gaps in Navy's maritime reconnaissance capabilities, the aircraft has an operating range of over 600 nautical miles.

Customised to meet Indian Navy's needs and based on the Boeing 737 commercial airliner, the P-8I aircraft is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft under development for the US Navy to replace its P-3C Orion fleet.

Interestingly, the P8I deal would be the largest deal India signed with the US, after the USD 962 million deal signed in 2007 for six Lockheed Martin's C-130J 'Super Hercules' transport aicraft for its special forces.

Its purchase would greatly help inter-operability and supportability objectives of both the Indian and US Navies, according to a Boeing official in New Delhi.

Apart from the Tu-142Ms, the Indian Navy currently uses IL-38SDs and Dorniers for surveillance operations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

It was also looking for six advanced medium-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft at a budget of Rs 1,600 crore to further boost its patrol and intelligence gathering capabilities in the IOR.

Comments

» defece deals

Posted by aman verma on 2009-05-23 13:31:07.719769+05:30
It is good to have such kind of deals as they make a nation more powerful and more reliable at the time of war.It is a matter of least consideration that who will get more comission and when. Nations security should be kept at to always

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» Defence deals

Posted by jai Singh on 2009-01-06 14:32:23.209432+05:30
The deal was ten years overdue but as usual the government with its creeping and nitpicking bureaucracy cannot make up its mind to plug the gaps in the nations' maritime defences. It was these gaps that lead to the Mumbai carnage.

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» It will be much better if we build our own air crafts.

Posted by Ayyappa on 2009-01-06 11:13:03.514188+05:30
I always wonder are the planes and other equipments purchased for US bugged? Why US should not put bugging devices some were with in the air craft and spy on other militaries? It is a vary simple cost effective metho of spying on us. If some one knows for sure I am talking nonsence please hilight in this forum. By developing our own air craft we give challenging projects to the new younger generation Indian engineers. We should develop indegenious wepons development.

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» Its not easy to manufacture an aircraft

Posted by Ram on 2009-03-25 21:07:00.31825+05:30
I would like to bring one thing to ur kind notice, manufacturing an aircraft includes decades of effort , planning and sophisticated technology. Its beter going for U.S planes instead of buying russian ones. The U.s planes are proven worthy world wide and thier technology is least exposed to chinese who are a major threat to india at any point of time. i do agree that this deal would have happened atleast ten years ago but still some how it seems to be little better, that it happened now atleast.

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» US Hypocrisy

Posted by Charlie on 2009-01-06 10:08:32.2979+05:30
As a reward for this we will get another devastating terror attack in India. We may lose about 200 people again but the US will simply tell us to exercise 'restraint'. Then again, 3 people will die in Israel, and the US will allow Israel to bomb the daylights out of the Palestinians and kill about 500 of them. No calls for restraint as the security of Israel, in the words of the US, is 'non-negotiable'. What about India then? Is our security negotiable? No thanks US, India can get its weaponds from Russia, our true friends.

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» Deal

Posted by Peter on 2009-01-06 09:49:26.746755+05:30
Some UPA family members millionaire many times already

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» Should have been done long time back

Posted by K on 2009-01-05 17:52:57.530218+05:30
This should have been done long time ago. India being surrounded by sea from three sides Navy should have been primary focus of military operations and enhancement. Further, the navy should proactively guard our coast lines with efficient communication and co-ordination between coast guards. They should learn from the 26/11 fiasco.

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» India bribes US

Posted by prasoon on 2009-01-05 17:39:37.242578+05:30
Its not a deal but a bribe to act against Pakistan

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» US Deal

Posted by Patric Antony on 2009-01-05 17:14:06.568123+05:30
Don't be foolish. There will be a time when we can make these aircrafts indegenously. It is not appropriate to say we should not have it until our IITians are ready to make it. First, we should stop opposing and rediculing everything. We all know that there is a need for advanced surveillance and defensive systems to avoid incidents like 26/11. That is why the government is spending money for it. We are on the path to becoming a super power and millions of Indians have the drive and capacity to put India on that position. India has seen the progress so far because of the hard work, intelligence of its people, positive thinking and the dreams of every individual to be better. We should be pround that India is self reliant in so many areas.

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» It stinks of corruption

Posted by romesh.sharma on 2009-01-05 16:34:55.759886+05:30
As always the deals are signed but never subtantiated atleast in the time-frame.The years turn into decades and decades into uncertainty.With every such deal there are hidden interests of politicians.Can Mr Editor find out and tell us what percent of the total value will go to SoniaGandhi and her Chamchas?What happened to the acquirement of badly needed fighter Jets?India is deficit in a number of around 200 fighters,the backbone of Air-force.Before elections they will fill their pockets and leave the burden on coming Govt and ofcourse the Tax-payers.These Congies and UPA cheats are crooks are after amassing riches for generations to come and what happens to the Nation and sincere citizens they aren't interested atall.They are simply irresponsible and have fears to takeproblems seriuosly/sincerely because they want to keep hands clean.Advance payments will be done and own percentage will be deducted and then the deliveries will remain on waiting list for decades.

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» US Deal

Posted by Avinash Baranwal on 2009-01-05 16:02:21.094287+05:30
And we are planning to go on Moon...This is the result of having fancy projects and ignoring the needy one. Where are our IITians and other technicians?Even, after so long also, we are totally dependent on others for the core technologies...And we are dreaming of becoming super power...Foolish we and being foolished by our torch bearer.

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