India hopes highest ever defence deal with US
India is expecting to ink a highest ever defence deal with the United States when President Barack Obama visits here next month.
According to sources, both countries are looking to get about 5.8-billion dollar Boeing C-17 Globemaster-III transport aircraft deal to be signed just before Obama?s maiden visit to the country, thereby clearing everything for a formal announcement.
However, the deal could see India getting the ten C-17 Globemaster-III airlifters without a number of electronic systems, due to New Delhi?s refusal to sign two strategic security agreements, the Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and the Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement for geo-spatial co-operation.
While Boeing has said that India will get the updated version of C-17, speculation is rife that the country has already approached Israel and France to buy the necessary equipment as an alternative.
?The agreements don?t really matter, because India can approach Israel or France for it. But, it could get more expensive once you replace military-grade equipment with commercial-grade,? a published report said.
Air Chief Marshal PV Naik had recently said the Indian Air Force?s operational capabilities will not be affected even if India did not sign the two agreements.
