IAF proposes to procure six flight refueller aircrafts: Antony - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Defence Minister AK Antony informed the Lok Sabha on Monday that the Indian Air Force (IAF) had proposed the procurement of six flight refueller aircraft to meet the growing air-to-air refuelling tasks in the armed forces. Replying to a question Antony said: "The procurement proposal had been progressed in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure - 2006 and thereafter referred to the Finance Ministry who has expressed certain reservations relating to the competitiveness of the bids and the reasonableness of the price." He said the defence procurement procedure envisages a time line of up to two and a half years from the date of issue of request for proposal to signing of the contract in multi-vendor cases. Antony assured the House that every effort is made to adhere to these time lines. Replying to another question Antony said about 10 offset contracts have been signed so far under the defence procurement procedure. He informed the members that the Defence Ministry has signed offset contracts with M/s Rosoboronexport Russia, M/s RAC MiG Russia, M/s Fincantieri Italy, M/s Lockheed Martin USA, M/s Boeing USA, M/s Elta Israel, M/s Israel Aerospace Industries Israel and M/s Rafael Israel. The estimated value of the offsets involved in these contracts is over Rs. 8909 crores, Antony said.