Refuelling Aircraft for the Air Force

December 14, 2009

Lok Sabha

The Indian Air Force (IAF) had proposed the procurement of six Flight Refueller Aircraft to meet the growing Air-to-air Refuelling tasks in the IAF and Indian Navy. The procurement proposal had been progressed in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure – 2006 and thereafter referred to the Ministry of Finance who has expressed certain reservations relating to the competitiveness of the bids and the reasonableness of the price. The Defence Procurement Procedure envisages a time line of up to two and a half years from the date of issue of Request for Proposal to signing of the contract in multi-vendor cases. Every effort is made to adhere to these time lines.

This information was given by Defence Minister AK Antony in a written reply to  Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha today.