Posted on 01/08/2010 3:35:10 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
UPDATE 1-Boeing says India keen to acquire 10 C-17 aircraft
4:00am EST
(Updates with details)
NEW DELHI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co said on Friday the Indian Air Force is keen to acquire 10 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and the U.S. government has received a letter of request from New Delhi.
"Boeing is very pleased that the Indian government has expressed interest in acquiring the C-17 to modernize its airlift capabilities, and we look forward to working closely with them," Vivek Lall, India country head of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems, said in a statement.
The deal is potentially worth billions of dollars.
The C-17 is a heavylift aircraft, capable of carrying large combat equipment and troops, Lall said.
"With a payload of up to 170,000 pounds, the C-17 can take off and land in 3,000 feet or less," Lall said.
The Indian government says it will prioritise defence and push forward pending projects to modernise its armed forces and its largely Soviet-era equipment, especially after the 2008 November Mumbai attacks revealed security loopholes.
India is looking to spend more than $50 billion over the next five years to modernise its defence systems.
Boeing, which is eyeing the Indian defence market, has already submitted two proposals to the Indian Air Force, offering the AH-64D Apache and the CH-47F Chinook in a deal potentially
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I’m glad they found a way to keep the line open.
Is India sending China a message?
More likely that they are sending a message to Russia. Another fiasco like the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and Russia will pay an even bigger price. Russians have a funny sales policy - Treat your biggest and best customer(INDIA)like shit....... Well ! shit happens.........
I see it as an ally keeping the lines open for the next 3 years and is a gift to America as they wait for Sarah Palin. I see India as a huge ally in the future, they see a need to keep the defense industry alive enough so they can buy the weapons systems they and we may need.
Leaving any symbolism aside, most recent Indian arms purchases from the US-the C-130J, the P-8I, the USS Trenton LHD and now the C-17 have all been systems which don’t really have any rivals. The Russians don’t have anything in the class of the C-17, which can haul the Indian Arjun MBT besides do a lot of other things.
You are right as always. Just felt like ranting against the Russians....though i must admit that i am not impressed by the hauling tank argument. Haul it where? In what quantities? If they have to do a number of sorties it might be easier and actually faster to truck it in quantities or load them on a freight train. Agreed that you are just mentioning its ability to do that but this one seems a bit of a red herring. Would really like your opinion on this.
‘Haul it where? In what quantities? If they have to do a number of sorties it might be easier and actually faster to truck it in quantities or load them on a freight train.’
My guess is that these birds are for the northern himalayan (chicoms) which is slowly heating up and where the roads network on the Indian side is poor with Rail heads far off the border. You might want to also factor in the possible deal of M777 light artillery pieces with the US to get an idea of where we are heading.
Is the Chinook deal also likely to go through quickly?
Can the C-17 land in THOISE or any of the new strips opened in Arunachal and Leh with a full to the gills load? Can it be air-air refueled for ultra long haul? Your insight would be appreciated.
And finally, has the prospect of sanctions of spares for all this equipment completely vanished? I remember the Sea King gear-box spares problems.
Agree to what Mandrake said-aerial delivery is the only way you can get heavy equipment to the upper ends of the North-eastern frontiers or Leh/Ladakh. Using a purely hypothetical scenario, C-17s can haul up to 50 Arjun tanks from say Pune or Gwalior up to these frontiers in less than 4 days while it would take twice that amount for road/rail transport. Time is critical given the fact that the Chicoms have refurbished infrastructure on their side, while we are just getting off the blocks. About sanctions, well those can never be ruled out but the US has as much to lose now than say a decade ago, esp. with consistent budget cuts. I’m not sure about the Chinook’s chances, though it does have its advantages over the current Indian workhorse, the MI-17.
Pic of the C-17 topping tanks-
http://www.usafe.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123159631
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