NEW DELHI, July 18 (RIA Novosti, Natalya Shilo) - India has not yet decided what model of multi-mission fighter bomber aircraft to acquire under its Air Force's rearmament program, which is still open for tender.
"We are not limited in choice," Commander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces Marshal Tyagi said. "Beside the four main proposals, F-16, F-18, MiG-29, and Gripen, the government is free to accept proposals from any other producers."
At the start of this year, the Indian government announced a tender for supplying the Indian Air Force with 126 multi-mission fighter-bomber aircraft to replace its MiG-21 jets currently in service.
The Air Marshal said the tender was in the information stage and no specific proposals had been made to any manufacturer.
The main rivals for this large defense contract are the Lockheed Martin and Boeing corporations (the United States), MiG (Russia), and the Swedish SAAB corporation representing the Gripen aircraft. One of the terms of the tender is arranging licensed production of the selected aircraft in India. Russian aircraft producers propose to put MiG-29M and MiG-29M2 fighters on the assembly line at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. enterprises, where Russian Su-30 MKI jets are already assembled.
The deal, which also envisages a technological transfer, is estimated to be worth $3-4 billion.
