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Originally posted by waynos
Even so I cannot envisage the Typhoon in IAF service. If only because the costs of operating so many diverse types must be crippling....
.....For this reason alone a purchase of the Typhoon makes no sense, unless they are looking to eventually replace about 40-50% of their total front line inventory with it.
The British government is “pushing hard” for India to purchase the Eurofighter for the Indian Air Force (IAF), Deccan Herald quoted a visiting Indian MP as saying.
Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is co-chair of a delegation of cross-party MPs and businessmen from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) currently visiting London, told Deccan Herald that the issue of selling the Eurofighter, developed jointly by the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain, was raised by British Defence Procurement Minister Lord Bach last Monday.
Other MPs who were received by Lord Bach included Shiv Sena’s Suresh Prabhu, BJP’s Ananth Kumar, Anand Sharma and Ajay Maken of Congress, Samajwadi’s Akilesh Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Lalit Puri.
India recently signed a $1 billion deal to purchase 66 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft from the UK and the idea of future defence deals involving other fighter aircraft has now been raised by British officials and defence exporters in London.
“As you know the AJT deal has been finalised and that’s close to a billion dollar deal for 66 jets, but there’s also the issue of upgrading six squadrons of MiG 21s and the UK government is pushing hard for the Eurofighter,” Scindia told Deccan Herald in an exclusive interview. “From an Indian standpoint what is interesting is the offset that should be given. That was also the subject of discussion with Lord Bach, who is the minister for defence procurement.”
Scindia, who believes bilateral trade could be worth $12 billion by next year, stressed that defence technology was just one of many areas of future collaboration that was discussed by the delegation with their British hosts. “India and the UK have shared a very long history and a long relationship over decades and over the last six to seven years we have seen the blooming of economic ties between the two countries,” Deccan Herald quoted Scindia as saying.
“In terms of trade that is now worth over $10 billion, hopefully reaching about $12 billion next year; also India happens to be the second most important investor in the UK and similarly the UK also happens to be the third most important investor in India.