India is all set to sign the biggest arms deal with the United states to buy 10 C-17 Globemaster-III giant strategic aircraft worth $220 million each. The Indian government has formally approached the US for a direct government-to-government deal for acquiring 10 C-17 Globemaster-III airlift aircraft.
The four-engine C-17 is capable of carrying payload of up to 170,000 pounds and it can transport tanks and airdrop more than 100 combat-ready paratroopers directly into the battle zone. The aircraft can cover 2,400 nautical miles at a stretch and with mid-air refuelling, can go even longer distances, Times of India reported.
According to the daily, with the US entering into the Indian market and often getting arms sales orders under its direct Foreign Military Sales Programme instead of vying in global tenders, the Europeans are getting increasingly upset. In this context, some see "American influence" at work behind the Indian Defence Ministry's scrapping of the almost-finalised deals like the $1 billion contract for 197 Eurocopter light utility helicopters and $1.5 billion project for six Airbus-330 MRTT mid-air refuelling aircraft.
The daily said US is also competing to seek India's $10.4 billion project to acquire 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft for IAF. Two American fighters, F/A-18 "Super Hornet" and F-16 "Falcon", are competing with French Rafale, Russian MiG-35, Swedish Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon in this hotly contested race.
India has already inked several arms deals with the US including $190m for 12 AN/TPQ-37 firefinder weapon locating radars, $92.5m for USS Trenton, six UH-3H helicopters to operate from it, $962m for six C-130J "Super Hercules" aircraft and $2.1bn for eight P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
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