India seeks 6 more special operations aircraft in $1.2 billion deal with US

The Pentagon has notified the US Congress about the possibility of a $1.2 billion deal with India for six more C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft in addition to six ordered for the same price in 2008.

India, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) told the US Congress, has requested a possible sale of 6 Lockheed Martin C-130J United States Air Force (USAF) baseline aircraft including associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support.

"This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important partner and to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship," it said in the mandatory notification to  Congress.

"The proposed sale will provide the Indian Government with a credible special operations airlift capability that will help deter aggression in the region and provide enhanced humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support,"

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region, DSCA said, and "There will be no adverse impact on US. defence readiness as a result of this proposed sale."

Offset agreements associated with the proposed sale are expected, but at this time the specific offset agreements are undetermined and will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractors, the US agency said

The equipment includes 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 Counter-Measures 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 3200 Flare Cartridges.

Also included are spare and repair parts, configuration updates, communications security equipment and radios, integration studies, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, technical services, personnel training and training equipment, foreign liaison office support, Field Service Representatives' services, US Government and contractor engineering and logistics personnel services, and other related elements of logistics support.

The prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, Georgia, and Rolls-Royce Corporation in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Implementation of the proposed sale may require the assignment of ten US Government and contractor representatives in India for a period of up to three years, it said.