By Vishu Adhana
Tel Aviv [Israel], December 2 (ANI): Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the only remaining bidder in the about Rs 8,000-crore contest to supply six mid-air refuellers, said it is fully aligned with the Indian government’s 30 per cent ‘Make in India’ requirement for the project.
Yehuda Lahav, an IAI Executive Vice President, declined to comment on where the aircraft would be prepared. “It’s not specific to this project, but in any programme where we consider ourselves as a candidate, we are willing to comply. Hopefully, India will be the next customer,” he said. “We are fully aligned with local requirements, which means we are open to meeting any local content obligations. There is a will to do it, and we will do it. Regarding the refueller, if there are specific requirements, we will be 100 per cent aligned.”
If awarded the contract, IAI would modify six used Boeing 767 commercial aircraft into tankers for the Indian Air Force, defence sources told ANI. IAI has emerged as the single vendor after a competition that included Russian and European firms; others reportedly fell away for not meeting requirements such as 30 per cent indigenous content on second‑hand aircraft. IAI has indicated willingness to meet the roughly 30 per cent Made-in-India content through offsets tied to the deal.
The Indian Air Force currently operates six Russian-origin Il-78 mid-air refuelling aircraft based at Agra, which support fighter operations for the IAF and the Navy. The IAF has attempted over the past 15 years to acquire six additional refuellers but has been unsuccessful for various reasons. It recently wet-leased a tanker but needs more aircraft to meet expanding requirements as it phases out legacy types and fields new platforms that rely on mid-air refuelling for extended range and endurance. (ANI)
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