Tuesday, May 3 2005 10:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Shillong: Indian Air Force (IAF) has not placed any specific request for F-16 or F-18 aircraft with any foreign firm although the United States cleared names of two manufacturers for the purchase, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi, said in Shillong yesterday (May 2, 2005).

"The US had written to India a month ago clearing the names of two firms - M/s Lockheed for F-16s and M/s Boeing for F-18s - to negotiate. But we have not sent any Request for Proposal (RFP) to purchase any craft," he said.

He said he had approached the Centre three years ago with its "qualitative requirements" to buy F-16s and the Government cleared the purchase of 126 "multi-role combat aircraft of medium variety".

After that a Request for Information was sent to four firms - each one in the US, France, Sweden and Russia - to seek more details with broad parameters of the IAF requirement. But there was no RFP sent to any firm so far, he clarified.