INDIA LAUNCHES RACE TO BUILD FIGHTER JET

The media has widely reported that India again decided to carry out its quest for fighter aircraft by approaching global aerospace companies to partner Indian companies to build single-engine fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. A letter was sent via Indian embassies to both Saab of Sweden and Lockheed Martin of the US, while it is learnt that letters were also received by Germany, Italy and Russia; but the content is not certain. Randall Howard, Director of the Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin, said: “There is a sense of urgency from the Indian Air Force because its need is so great. This would be one of the largest fighter jet orders ever India announced on October 15, 2016 that it will buy the S-400 Triumf Air Defence systems from Russia, worth over $5 billion. The most strategically important decision is the inter-governmental agreement for the purchase of S-400 ‘Triumf’ long-range air defence missile system which has the capability to destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km. India and Russia have been in talks for over a year for the purchase of at least five systems of S-400 that will be a game changer in the region. The system is capable of firing three types of missiles, creating a layered defence and simultaneously engaging 36 targets. India would be the second customer of the prized missile system after China which had concluded a $3-billion contract last year. The contract is likely to be signed by the middle of 2017. Russian Television reported the delivery of S-400 Triumf to India could begin as early as 2020. “An inter-governmental agreement has been signed under which Russia has undertaken to deliver S-400 to India,” Sergey Chemezov, head of the Russian