Article Posted on : - Jan 21, 2011

The A330 Multi-role Transport Tanker aircraft. An Airbus Military photo

NEW DELHI (PTI): European aviation major Airbus has submitted a bid for supplying its A-330 Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft for six mid-air refuelling planes of the India Air Force (IAF).

"We have already submitted our bid for the tender," Airbus Military's Business Development Manager Didier Vermett told reporters here.

In the tender, the Airbus offering will compete with the Russian-origin Ilyushin-78 as only these two have submitted their bids.

The last date for submission of bids was January 12.

Earlier, Boeing was also planning to offer its aircraft for the deal but decided against responding to the tender.

"Reports suggesting that we have withdrawn from the bid are wrong as we had decided against responding to the Request for Proposal (RFP)," senior Boeing officials said here.

The tender for procuring six mid-air refuellers was re-issued in September 2010 after the Finance Ministry rejected IAF's selection of the Airbus A330 MRTT over the Russian IL-78 for being too expensive and compelled the IAF to start again.

As per the procurement rules, if more than one equipment meets the requirements stated by the Defence Ministry, the one with the lowest cost is to be selected.

India is planning to add six more tanker aircraft in its fleet of six Russian-origin Ilyushin-78 aircraft.