Associated Press,
NEW DELHI: Lockheed Martin Corp. is optimistic it will win an order for more than 120 new combat aircraft from the Indian Air Force, a senior company official said Monday.
U.S.-based Lockheed is also looking to collaborate with India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. on the development and co-production of fighter jets, said Vice President Orville Prins.
Prins said he is “cautiously optimistic” that India will order its F-16 jets. India's Air Force currently has no American-made aircraft and uses mostly Russian-made MiG fighters, along with British Jaguars and French Mirage aircraft.
“There are some very good air planes in the competition,” Prins told The Associated Press. “It would be a difficult competition. We are not taking anything for granted.”
Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen was also in India lobbying Monday for the F-16 bid.
Besides the F-16, India is eyeing Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, the French Mirage, Sweden's Gripen and Sukhoi fighters from Russia.
The chief of India's Air Force said last month that proposals from aircraft manufacturers would likely be sought before the year ends.
India has never bought American planes for its air force because of frosty relations with Washington during the Cold War period when New Delhi was a close ally of the former Soviet Union.
But relations have rapidly warmed in recent years, and the two countries have embarked on a wide range of strategic cooperation, including civilian nuclear energy.
A key factor for India in choosing new planes would be the supplier's commitment to share technologies to make spare parts, and to develop and produce aircraft in India.
Lockheed Martin, based in Bethesda, Maryland, has previously said it could co-produce F-16s with Hindustan Aeronautics, or HAL, if India decided to buy the multi-role combat aircraft.
On Monday, Prins said the company wanted to collaborate on research and development with HAL irrespective of India's decision on the F-16s.
“HAL has tremendous capabilities. We would like to find opportunities where, in fact, they could become a part of our overall team,” he said.
HAL officials could not be reached for comment late Monday.
