Letter from New Delhi India's Defence Procurement Gathers Steam

摘要

India's defence procurement moved into top gear in 2011 with several delayed deals cleared and many more reaching the final stage of selection, indeed, the procurement process of the Indian MoD has never before seen so much success. India signed on the dotted line to buy 12 Boeing C-17 GLOBEMASTER III heavylift cargo planes from the US and signed another deal for upgrading 51 MIRAGE 2000 planes, besides yet another for equipping the upgraded planes with the latest generation missiles from MBDA. An agreement with Russia to procure 42 additional Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighters was signed and the Indian Air Force took delivery of six Lockheed Martin C-130J HERCULES medium-lift cargo aircraft. A nuclear power submarine was leased from Russia and work on bringing the refurbished Russian aircraft carrier, ADMIRAL GORSHKOV (rechristened as INS VIKRAMADITYA) to India is progressing. India handed a deal to buy APACHE attack helicopter from Boeing and gave deals to Agusta Westland and the Russian Mil for several helicopter purchases.