Deal on Hawk soon: Defence officials

Senior Defence Ministry officials today indicated that the Hawk deal with British Aerospace will be sealed soon with a crucial meeting slate...

Senior Defence Ministry officials today indicated that the Hawk deal with British Aerospace will be sealed soon with a crucial meeting slated to take place on Monday.

Both Defence Secretary Ajay Prasad and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy were confident that the deal will come through soon. They were clear that there was no threat of the deal falling through due to ongoing negotiations on who would do the designing and tooling. ‘‘The question is not of if, but one of when it happens,’’ said Krishnaswamy.

‘‘We have a meeting tomorrow, so let us see. They have agreed to some extent with our proposals,’’ Prasad said at Vayushakti 2004 here.

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Prasad also said the Phalcon AWACS system deal is through and the first delivery will be made in 44 months time, the next would be six months after that, and the third would take another six months. Even Krishnaswamy said he expected the Phalcon induction after three years while AJT could take two more years.

He, however, emphasised the importance of developing indigenous weapons.‘‘We have to promote indigenously-developed planes and systems even though they may take time,’’ adding that the Light Combat Aircraft would be probably inducted by 2008.

The summons come amid a broader crackdown by the ED on betting apps functioning illegally in India.

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