New Delhi: India will soon invite international bids to buy 126 fighter jet aircraft to upgrade the nation's combat capability, IAF Chief S P Tyagi, has said.
The Air Force is also close to buying 18 Russian-made Sukhoi combat jets to replace earlier models of the planes being used by the Indian air force, Tyagi was quoted as saying on Sunday.
The choice of the new aircraft would be made only after "thorough scrutiny and negotiations with competing bidders," Tyagi told reporters visiting an Indian military school in Dehradun on Saturday.
Among the planes being evaluated are those built by American-manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Boeing, France's Dassault Aviation, Sweden's Gripen-SAAB and Russia's Sukhoi fighters.
The Indian Air Force that has traditionally relied on Russian and to a lesser extent, French and British planes is also on the lookout for advanced trainer jets, helicopters and aerial refueling aircraft, making the country one of the biggest potential shoppers for military aircraft.
The US $9 billion deal for the 126 new fighter jets would be among the biggest such buys and Indian military specialists have examined many aircraft but have yet to decide on one.
Tyagi said a contract to buy the new Sukhoi jets would be signed soon with Russia, the radio service said. The Sukhois would replace the first batch of the aircraft which the Indian air force has been using for more than three decades, AIR said.
The upgrading of its armed forces is part of India's efforts to match its military might to the country's growing economic and political clout.
However, bureaucratic red tape and delays in decision-making by political leaders could mean that the jet purchases could take years before the new fighters reach the Air Force.
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