India to buy more spy planes from Russia

June 18, 2006 15:34 IST

To bolster the navy's reconnaissance capabilities, India is to buy more IL-38 spy planes from Russia and the decks for the supply would be cleared during Naval Chief Admiral Arun Prakash's week-long visit to Moscow starting on Monday.

Navy plans to buy two more IL-38 maritime reconnaissance aircraft from Russia to strengthen its depleted spy plane fleet hit by crashes of the IL-38 aircraft.

The new planes to be purchased would be upgraded versions of the aircraft fitted with advanced Sea Dragons suits.

The new aircraft are likely to be supplied by 2007 and would join the navy's already purchased new fleet of three IL-38 aircraft.

Navy's plans to buy eight more advanced maritime reconnaissance aircraft and has already floated international tenders for it.

Three major companies -- US Lockheed Martin offering their upgraded version P3C Orions, Boeing P8 jet and Russian Irkut company offering their IL-38 -- have responded to the Naval Request for Proposal.

Admiral Arun Prakash's visit, which follows the recent visit to Moscow by Air Chief S P Tyagi, was aimed to take "stock and review" of the ongoing Indo-Russian armament programme, including the progress of the upgradation and retrofitting of the aircraft carrier Admiral Groshkov and carrier-borne 16 Mig-29K fighters India has already contracted for, naval sources said.

Bogdan Titomiroff