The Hindu : Agreement on AJT likely today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 15, 2004

National

National

Agreement on AJT likely today

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MARCH 14 . The final agreement for the purchase of 66 Hawk (Advanced Jet Trainer) aircraft from British Aerospace will be signed on Monday, the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, said here today.

Talking to presspersons, he said the British Defence Minister, Geoff Hoon, was in touch with him. "Our Defence Secretary has kept me informed about the progress, and it seems that the agreement is coming to a satisfactory conclusion."

He refused to be drawn into a discussion on whether there was a cost escalation in the deal. The purchase of 66 Hawks had been finalised last year. This would assist the IAF pilots in bridging the gap between subsonic and supersonic aircraft. As per the agreement, 24 aircraft would be purchased outright, while the remaining 42 would be manufactured under license by HAL in Bangalore.

The 66 aircraft, each priced at Rs. 85 crores, would be available to the IAF over six years. In the interim, IAF pilots would be sent to the United Kingdom for training.

Mr. Fernandes said he found the progress in India-Pakistan peace talks "satisfactory." Not a single bullet had been exchanged between the two neighbours for the past three months.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National