Indian $4.1-bn Order For 10 C-17s In Sight


The $4.1-billion deal for 10 Boeing C-17 Globemaster-III strategic transports will shortly be signed between the governments of India and the US. Queries sent by India, asking for clarifications on certain costings (which emerged from the Ministry of Finance) have reportedly been addressed to the satisfaction of the contract team. The final foreign military sales (FMS) contract is expected to come up for final approval at the Indian government’s apex Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before contract signature goes through.

When concluded, the single-source ten aircraft deal will be the largest Indo-US military hardware contract yet signed, surpassing the $962.7-million deal for six Lockheed-Martin C-130Js and the $2.1-billion for eight Boeing P-8I Neptune LRMR/ASW aircraft.

Photo ©USAF / By Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller / McChord Air Force Base, Wash.

14 thoughts on “Indian $4.1-bn Order For 10 C-17s In Sight”

  1. I am not happy about this order. Why should India buy aircraft through Foreign Military Sales (FMS). This is too very costly. Definitely I smell scam…..

  2. Mr shiv

    MMrca sey toh yeh out ho gay aur sath mein bechara ambassador bhi gaya

    ab agar Yeh iss contract sey bhi jaygey toh toh Obama kya ho ga?

  3. To make up the loss of MMRCA.
    USA got more orders than MMRCA in transport aircraft, should be happy. The loser is india, by putting such big amount, it should have got LCA quickly or at least should have got the design, radars, and other technology for LCA.

  4. the government has made the right choice by leaving it up to the end users ie IAF to decide.
    the rafale and typhoon are well matched and excellent platforms.

    what must have gone against the super hornet was tech transfer and the End user monitoring agreement of USA.

  5. Finally. Good to see progress in getting C-17.

    10 C-17, 12 C-130J, IL76, AN -32.
    Future MTA.

    Wonderful. Indian defence moving towards a stupendous air mobile capability. Imagine the amount of firepower that a force of C-17, C-130J, IL76,AN32 can mobilize on either Pakistani or Chinese front on short notice.

    A true Cold Start.

  6. I think India is arming itself to teeth by imported weapons. What a tragedy. All the money made by IT and other exports are simply wasted on war machinery. With very questionable methods.
    282 Su30, 126 mmrca, 300 PAKFA, 200 LCA, billions on other weapons- there seems to be an insatiable need of the armed forces.
    We need an opposite voice to this crazy military build up from within the country. Weapons lead to war. Our superiority over enemies will lead to arrogance and can lead to wars that could have been averted. Something for our defense journalists to think about.

  7. I'm not mad that Lockheed Martin and Boeing lose in MMRCA.

    Hey look at the bright side India is buying 10 Boeing C-17 option for 6 mores, 6 Lockheed Martin CC-130J option for 6 mores, & 8 P-8I Neptune option for 4 mores.

    Indian air force is also buying Honeywell F-125IN engine to re engine the Jaguar. An also India is buying 99 General F4141-GE-IN56 to engine the HAL Tejas and Naval Teja.

    Indian army might pick AH-64D Apache Long Block III as winner of attach helicopter order for 22 & CH-47F Chinook as the winner of heavy lifting helicopter.

    The Indian Navy is also interested in RQ-4N Naval Globalhawk is navy version of RQ-4 Globalhawk.

    US is also offering RQ-8B Fire Scout to Navy also too.

    MMRCA mean nothing to US company like Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

  8. Well the C-17 is considered the best transport aircraft today, with its heavy lift capability and ability of short take off and landing. The deal is definitely the largest. Is there any TOT?

  9. look at the price crappp we should cancel this deal because at that price we will be able to get 20-30 an70s even russia and ukrain looking to give us an an70 production line to india

  10. This deal shouldn't come with Baggages like CISMOA ETC. rules which are discriminatory and intrusive in nature. As USA has no business knowing where and why we deploy this systems.

    if the deal comes with such strings attached it shouldn't be accepted.

  11. The rules of the US may argued as unfair, harsh, stings, or even discriminatory… but rules are rules. If you want stuff you do not have, you got to do what the seller wants you to do. They have the upper hand. Of course, India has the right to decline and walk away, but complaining is not the solution. The only other option is negotiation. I have mentioned this here many time… It's the Golden Rule… "He who owns the gold, get to make the rules"…. it's pure business. Until we develop products that can compete with the world, we cannot be in a stronger position at the negotiation table. Regardless of who we buy from, the seller will make us jump some hoops. The only only way to avoid this is to go for locally built stuff; but we are some decent time away from getting there. Until then, we got to do what we need to in-order-to keep our defenders well equipped.

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Scroll to Top