Two test pilots from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Air Marshals A K Nagalia and Bhushan Gokhale, are at the Farnborough Air Show to evaluate the planes, an HAL official said on Monday. India plans to buy 126 fighter planes to replace its ageing Russian-made MiG-21 warplanes and top aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Lockheed, which produces the F-16 warplanes, are in the fray to bag the major deal.
A Boeing spokesman said several meetings with Indian Air Force representatives have taken place and it is awaiting a response from the Indian side with regard to the F-18, a twin-engine multi-role combat jet, which, the company claims, is one of most advanced warplanes in the world. He said Boeing is also exploring the possibility of manufacturing aircraft components and assembling the jets in India.
In case the F-18 deal goes through, Boeing is ready to sell 18 aircraft and later allow production of the supersonic jet aircraft in India, the spokesman said. Lockheed Martin is also carrying out negotiations with the Indian Government to sell F-16 combat aircraft to replace the MiG-21 over the next 15 years.
The American company has also held preliminary discusssions with some private Indian firms. These negotiations come close on the heels of an Indo-US military cooperation agreement reached in 2005 to boost arms sales, joint production of weapons and cooperation in missile defence.
The two countries have also conducted joint army, air and naval exercises in the recent past. Lockheed officials said the company was examining prospects of outsourcing the manufacture of components of F-16 jet planes and C-130 transport aircraft to India.
The company is also interested in selling P-8 multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft to the Indian Navy. The Farnborough show, one of the biggest air shows in the world, is displaying 160 types of airplanes including Airbus A-380, the biggest, long-range passenger airliner ever produced.
HAL on its part is displaying it 'Dhruv' multi-role helicopters and IJP-36 trainer planes. UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya will be attending the air show and his Kingfisher Airlines is expected to place orders for buying engines for its long-haul A-330 planes that are likely to be inducted at the end of 2006.
Mumbai-based low-cost carrier GoAir is also expected to make some announcements at the show on aircraft and engine deals.
