Fernandes, Secy set out window-shopping

With major defence acquisitions in the pipeline, two high-level Ministry of Defence (MoD) delegations left for Italy and Israel today. Defen...

With major defence acquisitions in the pipeline, two high-level Ministry of Defence (MoD) delegations left for Italy and Israel today. Defence Minister George Fernandes is leading the delegation to Italy while Secretary Subir Dutta heads the Indo-Israel defence cooperation delegation to Tel Aviv.

‘‘Torpedoes, electronic warfare equipment for the Navy and multi-purpose boots for the Army are being looked at during the Defence Minister’s Rome visit. Fernandes will also visit the Agusta Westland plant apart from taking a look at the Italian advanced jet trainer Aermacchi plant,’’ MoD officials said. However, the Government has said it is close to concluding a deal to acquire the British Hawk AJTs for the IAF.

Chinese officer on 8-day visit

NEW DELHI: Though the proposed visit of Chief of Army Staff General S. Padmanabhan to China is still to be cleared, top ranking People’s Liberation Army officer Lt Gen Zou Gengren arrives here on Friday on an eight-day visit. Lt Gen Gengren, commander of the Lanzhou Military Command of the PLA, will visit the Shimla-based Army training command and several other commands apart from interacting with top officials of the ministry of defence and the services headquarters.

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‘‘He will hold talks with Lt Gen O.S. Lochab, Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI), Lt Gen N.C. Vij, Vice Chief of Army Staff and Vice Admiral S.V. Gopalachari, Vice Chief of Naval Staff apart from other officials at Air headquarters too,’’ Army sources said. The visit is likely to clear the decks for the Army chief’s visit to Beijing. (ENS)

Fernandes will also be delivering a lecture at the Rome War College apart from visiting a submarine and aircraft carrier facility, officials said.

‘‘No deal will be inked during the visit. It is a bilateral visit which will lead to negotiations for naval equipment for submarines,’’ sources said.

In Israel, which has emerged as the second-largest arms supplying country to India, Defence Secretary Dutta and the delegation will pursue a number of deals including the multi-million dollar deal for acquisition of the Phalcon airborne warning and control system (AWACS) for the IAF, ground sensors for the Army and additional unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for all the three services.

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The Phalcon system will be mounted on a Russian IL-76 platform and the details of the deal will be worked out during the deal.

India is seeking to acquire the advanced ground sensors to check infiltration along the 740 km-long Line of Control in J-K.

Israel has fielded such advanced human detector sensors along its border with Lebanon. India and Italy will also pursue avenues for training exchanges of officials at various levels right from the NDA cadets to senior officers at the National Defence College, a spokesman said. The Defence Minister will visit Rome, Venice and Milan during the five-day-long trip to Italy.