WASHINGTON, March 17: The United States has approved the sale to India of eight Boeing anti-submarine aircraft, a 2.1-billion-dollar transaction which would be the largest ever sale of US arms to India, the State Department said on Tuesday.

“The Department of State has notified Congress of the potential sale of eight P8i long-range maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the government of India,” State Department spokesman Robert Wood told journalists.

“The US government is prepared to license the export of these items, having taken into account political, military, economic, human rights and arms control considerations,” he said.

The sale is in keeping with India’s drive to modernise its military.

The Indian military plans to hand out contracts worth 50 billion US dollars by 2018.—AFP
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