The Hindu Business Line : Lockheed says F-16 IN is customised for Indian Air Force

MUMBAI: US-based Lockheed Martin which is among the six leading global military jet manufacturers that has sent proposals, said the F-16 IN fighter aircraft that it has offered was unique and tailor-made to suit the requirement of Indian Air Force.

“F-16 IN is uniquely tailored to meet all the requirements of the IAF and is most advanced fighter aircraft in the world,” said the Lockheed Martin, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Mr Ray O Johnson.

The F-16 IN would be a unique configuration of the F-16 designed to address every requirement specified India's request for proposals (RFP). Six leading military jets manufacturing companies came out with proposals for comprehensive industrial participat ion in the Indian defence industry as part of obligations to meet their defence offsets clause in the estimated $10 billion Indian contract to purchase 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).

Under the country's Defence Procurement Procedure, all foreign companies bidding for major Indian defence contracts worth more than Rs 300 crore have to invest 30 to 50 percent of the order in Indian defence sector.

Today's offset proposal submission is the second part of India's request for proposals for the MMRCA. “No other operational multi role strike fighter in the world today will compare to the F-16 IN proposed by Lockheed Martin,” the US company's Business D evelopment Vice President Mr Orville Prins said in a statement. - PTI

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