India is considering a rival bid from Russia to sell naval surveillance and anti-submarine airplanes, even as it examines a United States offer of eight P3-C Orions, the country's naval chief said Wednesday.
Admiral Arun Prakash did not disclose which Russian model aircraft is being considered, but India's current maritime surveillance fleet comprises three Ilyushin-38s and eight Tupolev-142s, both Russian-made. He said the navy has not set a timeframe to decide on buying the naval planes, but that the negotiations are advancing.
"It is going take some time before we decide, " Prakash told reporters in Bangalore, on the fringes of an aviation seminar. "We will buy the one that offers the right price and meets our needs."
The US proposal was disclosed in February by defense contractor Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the Orion. It also won the necessary export license for the deal from the US government.
India has increasingly moved to the West to buy the military equipment it needs, after decades of dependence on the erstwhile Soviet Union. However, the latest statement underscores that India doesn't want to give up the Russian option.
The C-130J military transport aircraft, F-16 fighters and F/A-18 Hornet multipurpose aircraft are among US-made warplanes being considered by India. The US has also offered to sell its Patriot Advance Capability 3 missile system and E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning system to India.
The P3-C is a variant of the P3-Orion, the United States' primary aircraft for anti-submarine warfare. It is also used by the air forces of Australia, New Zealand and Norway.
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