IAF hopes to finalise combat aircraft deal by year-end

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) Hoping to finalise the multi-
billion dollar combat aircraft deal by the year-end, Indian
Air Force on Thursday said the commercial bids of two
shortlisted vendors in the M-MRCA tender would be opened by
middle of next month.
"We have a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council on
October 7 where some of the issues are going to be discussed.
Once those issued are cleared, hopefully by the middle of
month, we should be in a position to open the bids," Air Chief
Marshal N A K Browne said here.
He was asked to comment on the acquisition schedule of
these aircraft which are expected to be inducted in the IAF by
2014.
Browne was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the
Sixth International Conference on Energising Indian Aerospace
Industry organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Earlier addressing the conference, the IAF Chief said,
"We are in final stages of this process (of signing the
contract for M-MRCA) and (it will be done) hopefully by the
end of the year."
On the offset value of the deal, he said, "Offsets for
this program amount to Rs 20,000 crore plus and these are
going to be in service for over a period of 13 years."
To a query on comparison between Fifth Generation Fighter
Aircraft (FGFA) and M-MRCA, he said, "These are two different
kinds of aeroplanes. M-MRCA does not have stealth features and
super cruise capability while FGFA has all that."
FGFA has recess armament base where all the missiles and
weapons are located inside the aircraft, which gives it a
certain amount of stealth potential, he said.
India is developing the FGFA as a joint venture with
Russia.
On reported intrusion by Chinese helicopters into the
Indian territory in the northern Indian region of Ladakh last
month, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne said he had spoken to
Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) Director General
Ranjit Sinha on the issue.
"I spoke to the ITBP Chief who has just taken over and he
is aware of that (the reported intrusion) and they are taking
some action. We had a meeting, and he in fact mentioned this
incident. They are taking some action," he said.
He was asked if the government had taken up the issue
with the Chinese authorities.
Meanwhile, replying to the same query, Minister of State
for Defence M M Pallam Raju said a mechanism has been
established to look into incidents of transgressions and
intrusions on the borders.
"Whatever has happened or not happened, I am sure it will
be looked into. There is an established mechanism for
transgressions and intrusions that are happening, and the
mechanism is there at the border, I think it will look into
the matter," Raju said.
The incident reportedly took place in August when two
Chinese helicopters with seven to eight troopers on board,
flew into Indian territory along the Line of actual Control
(LAC) in Chumar area of Ladakh and damaged some bunkers.