India Issues Letter Of Request For More C-130s

(Aviationweek) : India has issued a letter of request to buy an additional nine more C-130J transport aircraft, Defense Minister A.K. Antony told parliament Dec. 7.
On Oct. 26, the Pentagon notified the U.S. Congress of a possible sale to India of six Lockheed Martin C-130Js, plus associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support, for an estimated $1.2 billion, on top of six of the airlifters ordered for the same price in 2008.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress that in addition to the six aircraft, the deal would include “six Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 spare engines, eight AN/AAR-47 missile warning systems (two of them spares), eight AN/ALR-56M advanced radar warning receivers (two of them spares), eight AN/ALE-47 countermeasures dispensing systems (two of them spares), eight AAQ-22 Star Safire III special operations suites (two of them spares), eight ARC-210 radios (non-comsec) and 3,200 flare cartridges.”
Antony says a proposal for the procurement of 75 basic trainer aircraft is progressing, though no contract has been signed so far.
“The cost of the procurements will be known once the contracts are finalized and signed,” he says.