Indian Military Aviation News and Discussion

[Arun_S]

[url="http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100130/jsp/nation/story_12045960.jsp"]Refueller ‘shock’ for Germany[/url] : The Telegraph

New Delhi, Jan. 29: Germany today termed India’s cancelling of a competition to buy six mid-air refuellers for the Indian Air Force a “nasty surprise”.

[left]European consortium EADS Airbus was the frontrunner to clinch the $1.5-billion deal, until the defence ministry cancelled the tender earlier this month. [/left]

[left]“It came as a little bit of a nasty surprise for us and (it was) very disappointing that it was rejected at the political level,” German ambassador Thomas Matussek said, three days before German President Horst Koehler’s week-long state visit beginning Monday. “The rejection was not explained to us in detail. It appears that quality, performance of the system, state-of-the-art-technology, reliability were not exactly the criteria. The selection was done only on the label price as it stands.” [/left]

[left]The IAF had hinted at its preference for the Airbus 330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport refuellers over the Russian Illyushin-78. The tender was cancelled after the finance ministry questioned the price.[/left]