The UH-72A Lakota is the best-value solution for the U.S. Army's new multi-mission Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) requirement.
The Pentagon has notified Congress of the planned sale of 16 CH-47F Chinooks to the UAE for about $2 billion, including some equipment and spares. (US Army photo)
The Bell-Boeing V-22Delivers like no other. Range, speed and flexibilty. Hard rules once defined by the limitations of legacy helicopters. The V-22 offers twice the speed, three times the payload, five times the range, and can fly more than twice as high as older rotorcraft it is destined to replace. It is the world's first production tilt rotor combining the vertical performance of a helicopter with the high speed and range of a fixed wing aircraft. The V-22 not only rewrites the rules of mobility, it mobilizes the rules of engagement.*
The U.S. buying up to 35 V-22s a year. The V-22s can carry 24 troops 700 kilometers (vertical take-off, level flight, landing, and return) at 400 kilometers an hour. The V-22 is replacing the CH-46E helicopter, which can carry 12 troops 350 kilometers at a speed of 200 kilometers an hour. The MV-22 can carry a 10,000-pound external sling load 135 kilometers, while the CH-46E can carry 3,000 pounds only 90 kilometers.
But in Israel, it's all about money, as the V-22 is much more expensive than refurbished, or even new, helicopters with similar carrying capacity. Israeli refurbs to their 38 CH-53s, will enable them to last until 2025, and be much better protected from small missiles. The CH-53 refurb includes a nearly complete upgrade or replacement of all the electronics. This will make the helicopter more reliable, cheaper to maintain and easier to fly. With rebuilding and careful maintenance, these helicopters can be kept in the air indefinitely.
The 20 ton CH-53 entered service in the mid-1960s, and the first one entered Israeli service in 1968. The CH-53 has a max speed of 290 kilometers an hour, and can stay in the air for over three hours per sortie. It can carry 35 passengers, or 3.5 tons of cargo (including artillery slung beneath). Israel has considered replacing the CH-53s with the V-22, but the longer range, and higher speed, of the tilt-rotor aircraft was not a plus. The CH-53 could still haul more people and cargo, and Israel is a small country, with little need for the faster, and longer range, V-22. Israel finds the slower CH-53s adequate to their needs because most operations are inside Israel, or for short forays into adjacent countries. The helicopter pilots would like the faster V-22s, because these aircraft are able to spend less time in hostile airspace.
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Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.
In this photo taken on Monday, Sept. 7, 2009, Taliban commander Baz Mohammed, center, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at his headquarters in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan. Mohammed, a commander in a pro-government militia, is supported by the government as both share a common enemy, the Pakistan Taliban serving under the replacement of their chief Baitullah Mehshud, killed during a CIA missile strike last month.
A large quantity of arms and ammunition was also seized by security forces during the operations. Maulvi Rafiuddin was caught last year along with five accomplices but had to be swapped with 10 government officials whom militants had kidnapped in sharp reaction to his arrest.More than 60 government servants, including 35 police recruits, were kidnapped by militants in separate incidents. 
Soldiers carry the flag-draped casket of Major General Umer Bilal, one of 40 who were killed in an attack on a mosque near the military headquarters a day earlier, before his funeral in Rawalpindi December 5, 2009. Pakistani officials on Saturday mourned those killed near the country's military headquarters in an attack that raised questions over how militants penetrated the security of the regional nuclear power. As Pakistan battles Taliban insurgents who have responded to offensives with bombings that have killed hundreds since October, it also faces U.S. pressure to root out militants who cross the border to fight Western troops in Afghanistan.
Seven of the hostages were beheaded to put pressure on authorities for the release of Maulana Rafiuddin and his accomplices.
The militants then had also laid siege to the Doaba police station and gunned down 12 personnel of Frontier Constabulary.
The other militant arrested along with Maulvi Rafiuddin on Saturday was ‘commander’ Haji Gulzar who ran camps astride Hangu’s borders with Orakzai Agency and Kurram Agency.
Maulvi Rafiuddin and Haji Gulzar were arrested at a military checkpoint in Spin Thall area when they were going to North Waziristan Agency carrying a huge quantity of heavy and small weapons. Officials termed their arrest a big triumph. 
Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani (3rd R), army chief Ashfaq Kiyani (3rd L), chairman joint chief of staff committee Tariq Majeed (2nd R) and Interior Minister Rehman Malik with other relatives attend a funeral prayer of three out of the 40 people who were killed in an attack on a mosque near the military headquarters in Rawalpindi December 5, 2009. Pakistani officials on Saturday mourned those killed near the country's military headquarters in an attack that raised questions over how militants penetrated the security of the regional nuclear power. As Pakistan battles Taliban insurgents who have responded to offensives with bombings that have killed hundreds since October, it also faces U.S. pressure to root out militants who cross the border to fight Western troops in Afghanistan.
Maulvi Rafiuddin and Haji Gulzar used to send militants on suicide missions and plant explosive devices at the Kohat-Parachinar highway which is frequently used by troops.
They also masterminded several attacks on the families of police officials who took action against them. The officials said that a third important TTP leader, Aziz, and four other militants were arrested in Shahu Khel area of the Hangu district. The area was retaken by security forces a fortnight ago after a week-long battle with militants.
Three years later, CNVF was absorbed into the Royal Navy (RN) as the Ceylon Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR) and continued to be under RN till March 1946. The first Commanding Officer of the CRVNR was Captain W.G.Beauchamp, VRD, CBE. After the war he was succeeded by Cdr. G.R.M De Mel as the Commanding Officer CRVNR with 9 Officers and 91 Sailors making up the force.
With the dawn of a new era, after laps of just over two years after the independence on 9th December 1950, the Navy Act, chapter 358 of the legislative enactments of Ceylon was passed writing a new chapter in the history of Ceylon. The then Naval Advisor to the Government, Capt WE Banks, CBE, DFC was appointed to act as the Commanding Officer of the Royal Ceylon Navy. The Navy grew in size gradually and by 1957- 58 the complement was read as 136 Officers and 1650 sailors.
"When a crisis confronts the nation, the first question often asked by policymakers is: 'What naval forces are available and how fast can they be on station?' “-- Admiral C.A.H. Trost, USN Chief of Naval Operations Proceedings, May 1990
In 1972 with Ceylon becoming the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Royal Ceylon Navy became the Sri Lanka Navy. Ever since its inception until 1980 apart from assisting the Military and Civil Powers during the 1971 insurrection, the Navy’s Role had been basically ceremonial. But with the outbreak of separatist terrorism in the county the Navy had to adopt a fast but effective transition from a ceremonial Navy to fully trained and highly motivated fighting Navy which could take on enemy at anywhere on the sea at any time in whatever the magnitude.
The brave sailors of mother Lanka fought hard relentlessly to decimate the LTTE’s military infrastructure, severe communication and supply lines, smash weapon arsenals, and destroy morale of the enemy. Today, with the years of experience in the harsh operating environments of the battle against one of the most ferocious terrorist organizations in the world, Sri Lankan Naval forces are ready to respond to any kind of international and regional crises but will focus largely to protect Sri Lankan interests and citizens. Sri Lanka Navy after defeating the LTTE’s sea activities at sea remain the only naval element in Sri Lanka which can carry guns to the sea.
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) being the only Naval Arm of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces is classed as the most vital defence force of Sri Lanka, due being an island. Sri Lanka Navy has approximately 50,000 personnel on active duty as of today. It conducts maritime operations at sea for the defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its interests. Sri Lanka being situated in the middle of major sea lanes passing through the Indian Ocean has always been a magnet for sea farers. Sri Lanka stands amidst major sea routes connecting Africa, Middle East, South Asia and East Asia with Europe and chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca.
The Leadership
The Elam War IV erupted with renewed virulence in year 2006 and was fought in all fronts of the battle until the leadership of the LTTE met its nemesis in May 2009. The sea battles were very decisive as the SL Navy was effectively led, directed and controlled by the charismatic Commander of the Navy then, Admiral WKJ Karannagoda. He was succeeded by the then Chief of Staff, a highly intellectual and dedicated leader, Vice Admiral TSG Samarasinghe he is a great product of Royal Collage, Colombo and has held an unblemished and a promising service career for virtually 35 years when he was appointed as the 16th Commander of Navy by His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksha on 15th July 2009. His vision regarding the future of the Navy was clearly mirrored when he made an eloquent speech recently at the historic 19th International Sea Power Symposium in Rhode Island, USA
It is noteworthy to quote some interesting parts of his speech for the benefit of the readers of this article.
The survival of the global population is dependent on maritime trade. SLOCS today are highly vulnerable to terrorist and pirate attacks, which threaten this critical lifeline….Preparation to counter maritime terrorism, cannot be undertaken alone, and needs transnational support, unlike combating terrorist activity on land…..Maritime terrorism is global and asymmetric. Our response must be global, appropriate and pre emptive. We can deter, and defeat terrorism at sea if the right steps are taken at the right time in a cooperative effort……Together, trust, collaborative action, dialogue, talk, shares, coordination, breaking barriers, common understanding, unity of effort are….. We need to put those words in to practice…..We in Sri Lanka have done exactly that and given a strong message to Insurgents and terrorists worldwide that they can be decisively defeated. The Sri Lanka navy in this regard has done her duty in eradicating a maritime terrorist group supporting terrorists on land. Now the ball is in our court in supporting Sri Lanka and other countries in denying them from raising their ugly head again. --- The Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Tisara Samarasinghe at the historic 19th International Sea Power Symposium in Rhode Island, USA.
Contribution to the War Effort
Sri Lanka Navy proved its might by venturing out to deep sea for thousands of miles away from our coasts with its “men of war” and hunting down the LTTE floating warehouses thereby depriving the LTTE of the logistic support which is an important principle in any kind of warfare for a force to sustain in battle.
This, without an iota of doubt, was one important factor which helped the ground forces to move forward against de moralized groups of fighters who found themselves to be in the doldrums with munitions stocks dried down to a terrifying condition. All these warships did a remarkable job round the clock to run the naval barriers and blockades to keep the enemy at bay and quarantine the enemy held shores of receiving any kind of support from the outside world.
The most daring force of all time sea battle and the cutting edge of SLN was the Fast Attack Craft (FAC) Squadron, which from its inception in 1984 have held the line tight and stayed together against all odds at sea. FACs were invariably among the first on the scene of action in time of trouble at sea. Never in the history of Naval Warfare in the world have we seen such brave men of honour who dared taking the Sea Tiger’s “Kamikaze” Suicide Craft head on. This was so evident when a Dvora rammed a Suicide craft in an unforgettable heroic feat of the recent past in a valiant effort to save 710 Service personnel onboard MV Pearl Cruise. It was thanks to the same kind of heroes another 854 servicemen’s lives were spared when the Passenger Carrier Jet Liner – A 545 came under attack.
The Special Boats Squadron (SBS) along with the Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) opened a new concept in littoral combat especially within the sphere of asymmetric warfare to effectively counter the swarming tactics of the Sea Tigers. As cleverly foreseen by the former Commander of the Navy Admiral WKJ Karannagoda, Sri Lanka Navy proved its might in littoral warfare where even the most formidable navies in the present context with all their state of the art war machines are yet to prove themselves.
The Role of the Sri Lanka Navy in the Present Context
During the past 59 years, especially during the last three decades of war, Sri Lanka Navy has been gradually structured to provide four fundamental military and non military capabilities. First is control of the sea to assure Sri Lanka can use the oceans for economic and military purposes while denying such access to opponents in time of crisis or war. Second is the ability to project power ashore with naval gunfire, rockets, and marine forces--either in support of sea-control or to support a joint campaign ashore. Third, the Navy provides Aid to Civil Power in time of unrest or any civil disturbances. Finally, the Navy provides aid by way of men, expertise and material in times of natural calamities. Now the war is over. Yet the battle for success; to free our nation from the manacles of human suffering caused by the savagery of LTTE’s war of attrition has just begun. Sri Lanka as a nation must look back and ponder if they really want to look beyond. Most of us are unaware of the fact that we are standing amidst a vastly resourceful ocean. This is not a time for us to point fingers at our predecessors and kill time and let such valuable resources to which we all Sri Lankans heir to be locked down unutilized or let anyone else to exploit to their advantage. If not the future recorder of the history of our country might well say that Sri Lanka remains a failed nation because its people could not preserve and utilize the resources of the sea around the island nation to the best of its advantage.
With regard to this aspect let’s now see how and why the Sir Lanka Navy being in the vanguard of protecting the island nation during the war will still continue to do so and help the people of Sri Lanka to be a free and determined nation to enjoy a much prospect full and happier living.
Protection of Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCS)
The beauty of the Navy is by traditions, customs and even by the modus operandi virtually every Navy in the world is similar to each other. The SLN does the role of a diplomat in such interactions. Sri Lanka Navy is playing an important role in enhancing bilateral relations with our closest neighbour India by conducting combined training exercises and all other multi faceted interactions with the Indian Navy.
Providing Assistance During Natural Calamities and Disasters and Conducting SAR Missions
Kingdom, the only country that has oscillated several times between greatness and degradation — and, with Russia and the United States, the only country that has historically been unconquerable — does what it wishes, ignores the opinions of other countries, and doesn’t give much away.
There is no point to raising civil rights, other than that their relative absence in China diminishes the moral respect China would otherwise receive. About 10 years ago, an associate of mine, in conversation with the Chinese ambassador in London, recited Voltaire’s famous formula that it is better for 10 guilty men to go free than for one innocent one to be condemned. The ambassador stared quizzically and said: “Better for whom?”
In China, as in other traditionally non-Western countries, such as Russia and Japan (largely westernized as they are), there is a tension between the nativists and the Western emulators. To the minimal extent we can, we should encourage those Chinese that would be more co-operative with the West than not. But the only way to do this is to impress China with the power of the West, a task that is not assisted by the Chinese ownership of over $1-trillion in U.S. Treasury notes, and by the bizarre spectacle of the president of the United States making the international rounds apologizing for the conduct of some of the West’s greatest leaders — including (as he put it in London last April) the remaking of the world by “just Roosevelt and Churchill sitting in a room with a brandy,” and Truman dropping atomic bombs on two small cities of a country that savagely attacked the United States and its allies without the stuffy heirlooms of a casus belli or declaration of war. Similarly, for President Obama to have declined to see the Dalai Lama, in deference to Chinese sensitivity, was as cowardly and misjudged an act of appeasement as President Ford’s refusal to meet Alexander Solzhenitsyn in 1975.
Educated Chinese never forget that China was the most powerful and advanced empire in the world in the seventh and eighth centuries (Tang Dynasty), the 13th century (under the Mongols), and the fifteenth century (Ming Dynasty), and feel their turn is coming again. At the time of Columbus’s discovery of the New World, China had hundreds of nine-masted “treasure ships,” (whose rudders were longer than Columbus’s flagship, the Nina), which carried huge iron cannons and up to 3,000 tons of cargo. They were 10 times the size of analogous western vessels, the Queen Mary or Normandie compared to the Noronic.
The Chinese navy contained over 4,000 ships, commanded by Muslim Arab eunuch-admirals, and was vastly greater than western navies. (Henry V invaded France with four fishing ships, which carried a hundred soldiers each per cross-Channel trip.) The Chinese governed almost all of Asia, and in the 13th century surged into Poland, Germany and Hungary, routed the Western knights and effectively destroyed European feudalism. Even in the seventh century, China exchanged embassies or trade representatives with 300 cities or states, including the Portuguese and Swedes. Kublai Khan was a relatively liberal ruler who tolerated all religious views in the times of pre-Inquisition Europe and reduced the imposition of the death penalty to a lower per capita frequency than in the United States today.
China discovered gunpowder, the printing press, and the magnetic compass long before the West did. And no matter how tattered, decrepit, or bloodied China has been at intervals, it has never in thousands of years considered itself inferior to, or even equalled by, other nationalities.
It may not come naturally to Stephen Harper to speak in such epochal terms, but to the extent he can express confidence in the West, notwithstanding current indispositions, as having see-sawed with China as the world’s most advanced culture for 2,500 years, he should promote the solidarity of great and ancient rivals over competitive irritations.
It is something of a fad to be awe-struck by the recent economic progress of China. Stephen Harper is not going to that country to affront his hosts, but there is a good deal of flim-flam in its figures. Nearly one billion Chinese peasants live largely as they did 2,000 or 3,000 years ago. Indicators such as electricity production do not confirm claimed economic growth rates, and the Chinese practices of adding to GDP at once any expense when it is approved but not made (the state controls almost 40% of the economy), and of manufacturing narrow lines of products and of considering them sold when shipped from the factories, replicate some of the notorious frailties of the command economy.
The prime minister should not be lecturing the Chinese about carbon emissions. That misguided task has been taken up by Obama and some European analogues. Their harangues on this subject have no doubt been met with almost as much astonishment as that experienced by long-serving Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who famously listened to New York governor Nelson Rockefeller’s lectures on the need for bomb shelters in the late fifties.
The Chinese, like the Indians, have quite correctly taken the position that the advanced Western industrial powers are responsible for most of the carbon emissions that have occurred, while promoting their own industrial growth, and are still the largest sources, per capita, of carbon emissions.
Apart from whatever forays into the history of civilizations and long-term geo-strategy that Stephen Harper may be comfortable making, he arrived in China with the strong hand of the head of a country that is, or could be, a major supplier to China of base and precious metals, energy, forest products, and agriculture, and of a country that has carefully managed its trade balances and cash flows with China and the world.
There are spectacular possibilities for building this relationship imaginatively. Raw-material importing countries can no longer create a buyers’ market, as Japan once did before the economic rise of China and India forced up demand. Now, it is a producers’ market, and there may be long-term possibilities for exchanging guaranties of quantities for guaranties of price. This could be streamed to assist Canada in expanding its ownership of its own resources, without mistreating or discouraging foreign investors in this country.
Although the Chinese political establishment is proverbially inscrutable, any informed intuition the prime minister has acquired of Chinese intentions would also be useful. It is a myth that China has had no historic vocation beyond its own borders. As mentioned, they were the most adventurous navigators in the world until the Europeans unlocked and plundered the riches of the Americas and the Indies, whereupon the Chinese became perversely isolationist and scrapped their navy and merchant fleet in the 17th century.
The Chinese leaders are unlikely to be overly informative about their long-term geopolitical ambitions. But if Stephen Harper doesn’t lecture or scold or plead, discusses what interests the Chinese, Canada’s resources (they aren’t remotely interested in anything else about this country), with authority and imagination, listens carefully, and doesn’t make it look like another photo opportunity for a vote-hunting, transitory Western office-holder, it will have been a successful visit.
Disclaimer statement
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.
India and Russia are likely to sign a host of agreements of significance, which will be a reflection of the breadth of their relationship and particularly, the depth of their cooperation in the defence sector, said Foreign Secretary Nirupama Roa in the capital on Saturday.
Breifing media persons ahead of the visit, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao stated the list of likely agreements during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit.
The list of probable agreements during this Dr.Singh’s Moscow visit include:
• Agreement on extending the Programme for Military and Technical Cooperation for the period 2011-2020;
• Agreement on After Sales Support for Russian arms and military equipment supplied to India;
• Protocol to the Agreement on Cooperation in Development and Production of Multi-Role Transport Aircraft (MTA);
• Dollar credit line Agreement between Vnesheconombank of the Russian Federation and the Exim Bank of India for the extension of a 100 million dollar credit to Russia for certain imports of equipment from India;
• MoU on cultural exchanges between India and the Russian Federation.
“ A Joint Declaration will be issued by the two leaders during the visit on deepening our strategic partnership to meet global challenges,” Rao informed.
“In addition to these, we are currently in the advanced stages of finalizing a bilateral framework Inter-Government Agreement on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. Several rounds of negotiations have already taken place between our experts and we are hopeful that the agreement will be finalised during the visit. This agreement envisages broad-based cooperation on a range of technologies and know-how in the realm of peaceful uses of nuclear technology,” Rao informed.
India has an existing agreement with Russia (of 1988) for cooperation in the construction of two 1000 MW nuclear power units.
India and Russia defense cooperation has for long been a key element of their relationship.
“We have moved well beyond a buyer-seller relationship to joint production through the transfer of relevant technologies. In fact, the development of the Indian defence industry has been in large measure due to the strong relationship we have had with Russia and the Soviet Union earlier. A very robust bilateral institutions mechanism exists to discuss the defence relationship. The apex of this structure is the inter-governmental commission headed by the two Defence ministers on military-technical cooperation.”
During the annual summit, this relationship will be reviewed at the highest level, Rao stated.
In the hydrocarbon sector, cooperation in which is another critical element of India-Russia relationship.
“We are hoping to intensify this cooperation with further participation in oil and gas fields in the Russian Far-East,” the Foreign Secretary informed.
Russia will supply 12 Su-30MK2 Flanker multi-role fighters to Vietnam under a contract worth more than $500 million, a Russian business daily reported recently, according to Russia's RIA Novosti.Vedomosti said the contract, which does not include weaponry, was signed between Russian arms export monopoly Rosoboronexport and the Vietnamese Defense Ministry in January, but was not disclosed until now.
According to the Vedomosti business daily, Moscow and Hanoi are close to sign deals on the purchase of six Kilo class diesel-electric submarines and 12 Su-30MK2 Flanker-C multirole fighters.
The submarine contract, worth an estimated $1.8 billion, includes the construction of on-shore infrastructure and training of submarine crews and will be the second largest submarine contract concluded by Russia since the Soviet era after the 2002 deal on the delivery of eight subs to China.
The Project 636 Kilo class submarine is thought to be one of the most silent submarine classes in the world. It has been specifically designed for anti-shipping and anti-submarine operations in relatively shallow waters.
Russia has built Kilo class submarines for India, China and Iran.
Vedomosti also cited sources in Russia's aircraft manufacturing industry as saying a new contract on the delivery of 12 Su-30MK2 fighter jets in addition to eight aircraft of the same type ordered by Vietnam in January 2009.
Su-30MK2 is an advanced two-seat version of the Su-27 Flanker multirole fighter with upgraded electronics and capability to launch anti-ship missiles.
The new contract could be worth at least $600 million, not including the price of on-board weaponry.
In addition, Russia could sign a deal with Vietnam on the delivery of a large number of Mi-17 helicopters, a source in the Russian Helicopters company said during the LIMA 2009 arms show in Malaysia on Wednesday.
According to Russian military analyst Konstantin Makiyenko, the new deals will push Vietnam to the top of the list of major buyers of the Russian weaponry, as the share of China and India in Russia's arms exports is gradually declining.
The Multirole Medium Aircraft (MTA) project was initiated by Russia's Ilyushin in 1996. It is also referred to as Il-214 Ilyushin and "Indo-Russian Transport Aircraft (IRTA) or MRTA by its Indian partner HAL. Russia and India entered into negotiations for the co-development of the aircraft in 1999. An agreement was signed in June 2001 between Ilyushin, Irkut and HAL.
The clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Security here will pave the way for a formal agreement to be signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Russia, beginning Dec. 6.
The plan calls for India and Russia to jointly build 210 MTAs, with Russia buying 100 and India buying the rest. The agreement will include an option for India to buy 100 more MTAs for its Army and other security forces.
Despite a 2002 memorandum of understanding to forge a joint venture to build the aircraft in India, no headway has been made on the project. The formal agreement likely will be inked during Singh's Moscow visit, an Indian Defence Ministry official said.
Russia's Irkutsk Aviation and Industrial Association, llyushin Aviation Complex and Rosoboronexport have decided to participate in the MTA program with India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) on an equity-sharing basis.
The Russians will finance nearly $300 million of the aircraft's development costs, the Defence Ministry official said. HAL also will supply $300 million for the effort after getting firm orders for the 15-ton MTA from the Indian Air Force, the ministry official added.
The MTA is intended to replace the Air Force's transport aircraft, most of which were bought from Russia. India has about 100 medium-lift An-32s and about 20 heavy-lift Il-76s.
In 2008, India signed a contract for the purchase of six C-130 Hercules transport planes from the U.S.
Members of the Eastern Africa Standby Brigade from Somalia parade during the closing ceremony of the Field Training Service (FTS) in exercise Amani Carana in the Arta region of Djibouti, December 4, 2009.
Members of the Eastern Africa Standby Brigade from Ethiopia parade during the closing ceremony of the Field Training Service (FTS) in exercise Amani Carana in the Arta region of Djibouti, December 4, 2009.
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