Amidst the storms and death in the US southeast and the royal wedding in the United Kingdom, from the Indian sub-continent comes a bit of another downer for the Americans. The long fought battle over India's next generation fighter just got winnowed down to two contenders. At stake is a $11billion arms deal for 126 aircraft, a majority of them to be locally produced in India, to replace obsolete types in service like the MiG-21. On Wednesday, US bidders Boeing [F-18] and Lockheed-Martin [F-16] were informed their bids had lost. Also being notified on Wednesday were the JAS-39 Gripen and the MiG-35 that their bids had lost also. Eurofighter GmbH and Dassault were informed their aircraft are still in competition.
Day after Boeing and Lockheed-Martin were told their bids were not accepted, US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer announced his resignation. No word if there is any linkage. Though that picture of Roemer in the news article is a bit odd. On the plus side India is still purchasing ten Boeing C-17 Clobemaster IIIs, with price issues, and Lockheed C-130J-30s are being delivered, so US military aviation is not totally shut-out, just in combat aircraft.
Day after Boeing and Lockheed-Martin were told their bids were not accepted, US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer announced his resignation. No word if there is any linkage. Though that picture of Roemer in the news article is a bit odd. On the plus side India is still purchasing ten Boeing C-17 Clobemaster IIIs, with price issues, and Lockheed C-130J-30s are being delivered, so US military aviation is not totally shut-out, just in combat aircraft.
7 comments:
Nice to see that the US administration is still focussed on creating jobs and building strong alliances globally...
Focused like a laser beam that hits a mirror.
I have to wonder if the price problems with the C-17s might have influenced the decision. Along with deciding the US can't be trusted as an ally - turn on Egypt while ignoring Syria as an example.
Stinky b.o. needs to go- him and his commie cronies in the government. Yep, it is not to be trusted- and neither is anyone still shilling for him.
Perhaps bin Laden's death can still salvage something.
I am refraining from trash talking the President's speech, I want to give our brave warriors the spotlight.
Hard stuff..
What is hard stuff?
It would be nice to see India getting some new High tech aircrafts. Older ones - MIGs, have costed a huge sum of money in maintenance and a number of lives in air crashes :(
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