India, US seals Hercules deal worth $1 bn
The Bush administration has notified Congress of the impending sale to India of six C-130J aircraft and accessories worth more than $1 billion, underscoring the growing "Americanisation" of Indian military hardware.
By Chidanand Rajghatta, TNN |
WASHINGTON: The Bush administration has notified Congress of the impending sale to India of six C-130J aircraft and accessories worth more than $1 billion, underscoring the growing "Americanisation" of Indian military hardware.
The proposed sale, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in its notification this week, "will enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US by providing the Indian government with a credible special operations airlift capacity that will deter aggression in the region, provide humanitarian airlift capability and provide interoperability with US forces in coalition operations."
The purchase will mark a significant diversification of India’s military transport paradigm that has traditionally rested on Soviet-supplied AN-32 and IL-76 aircraft. Earlier this year, New Delhi purchased the American landing dock USS Trenton, which will give the Indian Navy amphibious landing capability.
The $1.059 billion transaction will also be the single largest Indian military purchase to date from the United States. C-130J is the latest model of the trusted and versatile Hercules transport aircraft that has been an American workhorse for half a century, the longest continuous production-run of any military aircraft in history.
Capable of short takeoffs and landings from unprepared runways and dirt tracks, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation and cargo transport aircraft.
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But the latest model that India will purchase will be a souped up version of the Super Hercules, capable of multiple functions. Much of the special mission equipment added to the Hercules is removable, allowing the aircraft to revert back to its cargo delivery role if desired. The C-130J is currently being used by American and allied forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the basic aircraft frames and equipment, India is also said to have asked for four Rolls Royce AE 2100D3 spare engines; eight AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems; eight AN/ALR-56M Advanced Radar Warning Receivers; eight AN/ALE-47 Counter-Measures Dispensing Systems; eight AAQ-22 Star SAFIRE III Special Operations Suites.
Courtesy: www.timesofindia.com
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