With its air combat capability severely hit by a series of crashes and mishaps at sea, the Indian Navy has finalised bold plans to revive its air strength by buying more frontline fighters and helicopters.
The force has finalised global tenders to acquire troop carrying and anti-submarine helicopters as well as to upgrade its fleet of Seaking and Kamov-28 helicopters.
Under new plans, the Navy would acquire more of the MiG-29K fighters from Russia as a follow up order to 16 such fighters, which are expected to arrive in India by next month, Naval sources said.
Navy would begin to induct the MiG-29 fighters when the first batch of four aircraft would fly into Naval air station at Goa.
"The delivery of the fighters meant to operate from the carrier INS Vikramaditya is on schedule even though a deadlock still persists on the handing over of the carrier after a price hike demanded by Moscow," an official said.
They said along with moves to buy more MiG fighters, request for proposals had been finalised for undertaking midlife upgrades of Sea King-B and Kamov-28 helicopters.
Navy has 14 Sea King anti-submarine and troop carrying helicopters and 12 Kamov choppers.
Officials said there were no plans to upgrade the earlier versions of the Sea King helicopters and that the Navy would replace them with new medium range helicopters for which a request for proposal was already underway.
With the delivery of Vikramaditya pushed back to 2012, the Navy has finalised a 100 million dollar deal to erect a ski jump system at Kochi to train its MiG-29K pilots, pending the acquisition of the carrier.
The Navy's plans to acquire long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft seem to be approaching final stages as the deal to acquire eight of these aircraft is almost clinched with the US aviation giant Boeing.
Under the deal, the Navy will get eight P8-I aircraft in the next three to four years. India would be almost the launch customer for these new aircraft along with the US Navy.
To strengthen Navy's capabilities to carry out coastal surveillance, the Ministry of Defence has also finalised tenders for six medium range maritime reconnaissance aircraft that would replace the ageing Islanders and Dornier-228.
