Russias near-monopoly over the Indian arms market seems to be coming to an end, thanks to the armed forces policy of placing a premium on performance and not cost. The A-330Soon after Boeings $1.8-billion contract for eight P-8I Poseidon long-range naval maritime patrol aircraftcostlier than rival Airbusthe IAF is set to acquire six Airbus tankers.
Senior Defence Ministry officials confirmed that a 1-billion euro contract for six Airbus A-330 multi-role tanker-transports is close to being finalised. This despite the makers of the Russian IL-78 tanker, six of which the IAF has in service, offering a lower bid. The IAF chose Airbus for its larger fuel load and its dual transport capability. This decision has a bearing on the worlds largest defence contractthe IAFs acquisition of 126 medium-range fighter aircraft worth over $10 billion where Russias MiG-35 is a low-cost option.
Senior Defence Ministry officials confirmed that a 1-billion euro contract for six Airbus A-330 multi-role tanker-transports is close to being finalised. This despite the makers of the Russian IL-78 tanker, six of which the IAF has in service, offering a lower bid. The IAF chose Airbus for its larger fuel load and its dual transport capability. This decision has a bearing on the worlds largest defence contractthe IAFs acquisition of 126 medium-range fighter aircraft worth over $10 billion where Russias MiG-35 is a low-cost option.
