The Ministry of Finance (MoF) “has expressed certain reservations relating to the competitiveness of the bids and the reasonableness of the price” over the six Flight Refueller Aircrafts that the MoD intends to procure for the Air Force and Navy. The Defence Ministry floated a tender to four global companies about four years back – Lockheed Martin, Boeing, EADS and Ilyushin – on which latter two companies showed some interest. The procurement process was then initiated as per the provisions under the Defence Procurement Procedures 2006 (DPP 2006). The Finance Ministry’s reservation may now quash the process and a fresh bid is expected to be issued next year.1

• 1. Government of India, Ministry of Defence, ‘Refuelling Aircraft for Air Force’, Press Release, December 14, 2009; Vivek Raghuvanshi, ‘Indian Refueler Program May Be Rebid’, Defense News, December 14, 2009 at http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4418824&c=AIR&s=TOP