NEW DELHI, Aug 17: The United States has offered to sell India F-16 and F-18 warplanes to India and has expressed its readiness to have joint production of advanced defence technologies here, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament on Wednesday.
Mr Mukherjee told the Rajya Sabha the US decision was conveyed during a visit to New Delhi on April 20 to 21 by the director, Defence Security Cooperation Agency of the United States Department of Defence, Lt Gen Jeffery Kohler.
Lt Gen Kohler conveyed the US decision to “respond to an Indian request for information for procurement of a Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft for the Indian Air Force.”
The US official informed the Indian government that his “administration has advised the manufacturers of the F-16 and the F-18 aircraft to participate in the request for proposal (RFP) for the aircraft when issued by the Government of India.
“He also conveyed US readiness to enter into a defence supply, co-production and research and development relationship in areas of advanced defence technologies. No specific proposals were made.”
The Indian government welcomed the US willingness to collaborate with it “in the supply, production, transfer of technology and joint research and development of defence equipment in accordance with rules, regulations and procedures of the Government of India on eventually acceptable terms and conditions.”
US President George W. Bush had announced sale of F-16 jets in March this year to Pakistan and offered the same planes to India.
To counter balance the deal with Pakistan, Washington has indicated it is prepared to sell India additional defence technology, including command and control and Early Warning Systems, besides considering sale of Patriot missiles which could hit at the Pakistani missile capabilities.
