Close on the heels of acquiring Embraer executive planes, the government on Tuesday cleared the purchase of three wide-bodied Boeing 737-700 business executive jets, equipped with missile deflecting security suits, for dedicated long-distance travel by VVIPs.
To be bought at a cost of over Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion), these jets will replace the two ageing Boeing 737-200 aircraft purchased in 1983 for VVIP travel, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security in New Delhi presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
These executive jets will be delivered by January 2009 and will be fitted with missile deflecting security suits at a cost of $44.6 million (Rs 200 crore). The three planes will cost $169.90 million (about Rs 800 crore).
According to officials of Boeing, a US firm, the planes can fly 12 hours non-stop and are configured to carry 20 to 25 persons. They said it was up to the Indian Air Force to decide on the capacity of the aircraft.
The aircraft have a specialised communication chamber, a bed area, a security chamber and certain specialized facilities.
The Boeing company has sold 80 of these exclusive executive jets worldwide including three in India. One of these planes is being flown by Sahara for its top executives.
The decision to purchase the aircraft comes close on the heels of delivery of three of the five Embraer Legacy Jets. Five of these jets have been purchased at a cost of about Rs 780 crore (Rs 7.80 billion).
While the four Embraer planes will flown by the Communications Squadrons of the Air Force for VVIP domestic travel, one would be assigned to the Union home ministry to be operated by the Border Security Force aviation unit.
While three of these jets have already arrived in India, the remaining two are expected to be delivered in the next 12 months. These jets, like the new Boeings, are also fitted with US-built missile deflecting security systems.
