In what could be the biggest defence deal so far between New Delhi and Washington, India’s MoD sent letter of request to the US government, enquiring about the possibility of acquiring 10 C-17 Globemaster III heavy lift aircrafts. Country head of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems stated that his company was “very pleased that the Indian government has expressed interest in acquiring the C-17 to modernize its airlift capabilities, and we look forward to working closely with them.”

Each aircraft is expected to cost around $202.3 million. If the deal fructifies, India will buy the aircraft through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, under which it is expected to pay the same price which the US pays to Boeing, plus some service charges. The C-17 has a “payload of 1,60,00 pounds, can take off from a 7,600-foot airfield, fly 2,400 nautical miles, and land on a small, austere airfield in 3,000 feet or less.”1

• 1. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, ‘C-17 Globemaster III’, at http://www.boeing.co.in/ViewContent.do?id=43782&aContent=C-17 Globemaster III; Rajat Pandit, ‘Govt set to ink record $2.2bn arms deal with US’, The Times of India, January 9, 2009; ‘India eyes 10 C-17 military transport planes: Boeing’, AFP, at http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gyiroSs47Jvhi7o4hwoQN...