India in £700m deal for jet partsWednesday, July 28 03:41 pm
UK firms BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce have bolstered their position in the fast-growing Indian market after sealing a £700 million deal to supply parts and engines for 57 Hawk jets to the country's air force and navy. The deal was announced as Prime Minister David Cameron toured Hindustan Aeronautics facility in Bangalore during a major trade visit to India.
The contract - worth around £500 million to BAE Systems and £200 million to Rolls-Royce - will support around 200 jobs in the UK and follows a previous agreement to supply 66 jets in 2004.
Mr Cameron said: "This agreement will bring significant economic benefits to both our countries. It is evidence of our new, commercial foreign policy in action."
The aircraft - 40 for the air force and 17 for the navy - will be assembled by Indian firm Hindustan Aeronautics and extend the existing relationship with the UK firms for a further six years.
Rolls-Royce has worked with the Indian firm since 1956 and is supplying its Adour engines for the jets. BAE Systems also sells the Hawks to customers including Australia, Canada, South Africa and the UK's own Royal Air Force.
Source: Yahoo News
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20100728/twl-india-in-700m-deal-for-jet-parts-41f21e0.html?printer=1
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India signs pact to buy 57 advanced jet trainers from Britain
22:19, July 28, 2010
India Wednesday inked a 775 million U.S. dollar deal with Britain to procure an additional 57 Hawk advanced jet trainers from the British Aerospace Company, sources said.
"The deal was signed between British defense group BAE Systems and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in Bangalore, where British Prime Minister David Cameron is currently camping during his first visit to this country since taking office in May. The pact is a follow-on deal after India bought 24 such jet trainers two years back," the sources said.
The aircraft will be used for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, the sources said.
As India plans to spend 100 billion U.S. over the next decade to upgrade its defense system, it has said that it needed at least 180 training jets over the next few years.
"India is replacing the Soviet-era defense system with those from the United States and UK," they said.
Source: Xinhua
