Thursday, April 21 2005 20:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In a bid to bag lucrative deal from India, which is seeking 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, the United States has offered to put the sales of its F-16's and F-18's on fast track, Government-to-Government basis and said that the companies would offer major sops in the form of technology transfer and co-production.

A high level US Defence team led by Lt Gen Jeffrey B Kohler today (Apr 21, 2005) held marathon discussions with the top Indian Air Force officials and submitted detailed technical parameters of the two fighters, the F-16 Fighting Falcons manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Boeing's twin engined upgraded F-18 Super Hornets.

US officials sought to assure India's fear on sanction by saying, "Stakes were much higher now and the two sides would have to think twice before precipitating any such action".

After a round of meetings to submit the Request for information (RFI), Kohler, Director Defence Security cooperation Agency said that the two US companies had been allowed to bid for Indian purchases and the aviation majors would be offering the most upgraded version of their fighters to India.

He said that more detailed presentation would be given by the company officials themselves, when they bring their Fighters to India for trials.

"Both Lockheed and Boeing have applied to the State Department for licences to supply the aircraft to India, which would be cleared soon", Kohler said.

Top US Pentagon officials said that some more advanced co-development armament programmes were also likely to be cleared in the next few months during the Indo-US defence policy group meeting in Washington and State visit of the Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee to US next month.

The Americans are the last of the four countries to send their bids for the IAF deal, with French Dassault, Swedish Grippen and Russian companies already having submitted their technical bids.

Kohler said that along with the clearance of sales of fighter platforms the US had also given its nod for sales of advanced weapons systems to be integrated in the fighters including some of the most beyond range visual, air to air strike Missiles, air to ground missiles, as well as precision guided bombs and mutions.