Article Posted on : - Apr 28, 2010

Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage 2000 - a multi-role combat fighter from Dassault Aviation of France.

NEW DELHI (PTI): India has asked six top aerospace manufacturers competing in the USD 10-billion 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal to resubmit their commercial bids as their earlier tenders, submitted in March 2008, would expire Wednesday.

Defence Ministry officials on Tuesday said that they have already intimated the competitors -- US' Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Russian RAC MiG, French D'Assault, Swedish SAAB, and European consortium EADS -- in this regard.

"We have intimated the six companies to resubmit their commercial bids for their aircraft, as the limitation period for their bids expires on Wednesday," officials said.

With this, the six companies are expected to either revise their price for their aircraft or stick to the price they had quoted in their earlier commercial bids.

Boeing has offered its F/A-18s, Lockheed Martin its F-16IN Super Viper, RAC MiG its MiG-35, D'Assault Rafale, SAAB Gripen and EADS Eurofighter Typhoon.

The companies, the officials said, were asked to resubmit their commercial bids, as mandated under Section 55 (a) of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP).

Under the DPP, India has asked the successful bidder in the MMRCA deal to plough back 50 per cent of the deal amount under the offset clause into domestic defence industry.