By Vishu Adhana
Tel Aviv [Israel], December 2: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the lone remaining bidder in the roughly Rs 8,000-crore competition to supply six mid-air refuellers to India, says it is fully prepared to meet the Indian government’s 30 percent Make-in-India requirement.
IAI Executive Vice President Yehuda Lahav declined to specify where the aircraft would be modified, but said the company is willing to comply with local content obligations in any programme where it is a candidate and would be fully aligned with specific refueller requirements.
Defence sources told ANI that, if selected, IAI would convert six used Boeing 767 commercial airframes into tankers for the Indian Air Force. IAI emerged as the single vendor after a contest that included Russian and European firms; others reportedly dropped out for failing to meet conditions such as the 30 percent indigenous content requirement on second‑hand aircraft. The company has indicated it can meet the roughly 30 percent Made-in-India content through offsets tied to the deal.
The Indian Air Force currently operates six Russian-origin Il-78 refuellers based at Agra that support fighter operations for the IAF and the Navy. Over the past 15 years the IAF has repeatedly sought six additional tankers without success; it recently wet-leased a tanker but requires more aircraft to support expanding needs as older types are phased out and new platforms that depend on mid-air refuelling enter service.
(This report is based on a syndicated feed and is published as received; The Tribune assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.)
