India to buy 40 Russian-made Sukhoi-30 fighter jets

Published: Feb 08, 2007
Source: www.saharasamay.com



Indian Air Force spokesman, Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani said on Thursday that the government has "cleared the proposal to buy the Sukhoi planes and we'll be getting them shortly.''

Wing Commander Upasani, however, said that he had no details about the cost of the planes or the exact date of their arrival.

Last month, during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, military cooperation between the two countries was taken to the next level, with New Delhi and Moscow inking a host of protocols, including one for the joint development and production of a multi-role transport aircraft (MTA).

In another agreement inked at the 6th meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission on military technical cooperation, Russia agreed to transfer technology to India for licenced production of RD-33 engines to be installed on the Indian Air Force's MiG-29 fighters.

Russia also expressed an interest in jointly designing and developing an advanced "fifth generation" fighter plane with India and for making a pitch for the IAF's tender for 126 combat aircraft with its MiG-35 jets.

Defence Minister A K Antony said then that India's strategic ties with Russia were "time-tested and based on mutual understanding"

"Our relationship is no longer the buyer-seller type. We are now engaging in joint research, development and production," Anthony said.

Ivanov agreed that joint projects were an indicator of a transforming relationship.
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