India seeks more naval strike capability

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">NEW DELHI: With growing concern over Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean and the hostile posture adopted by Pakistan, India is likely to expedite the acquirement of P3 Orion multi-mission maritime aircraft equipped with Harpoon anti-ship missiles. <br />A high-level delegation of Lockheed Martin Corporation, vendors for the P3 Orion, is currently in New Delhi to discuss the pricing of the multi-mission maritime aircraft, in which India has evinced a keen interest.<br /> <br />The Indian Navy is looking for maritime reconnaissance version of the P3 Orions from the United States to keep the Indian Ocean under surveillance. <br /> <br />The P3 B Orions, which India is planning to purchase, are the best four-engined long range Maritime Recce aircraft in the world. According to defence officials, the Indian Navy can easily fit Brahmos missile on them to make them strike capable. <br /> <br />Defence ministry officials were quoted by the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Defence News</span> as saying that India had told the US government that it wanted to buy eight used P3 Orion maritime surveillance planes under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. <br /> <br />India plans to buy the P3 C version of the aircraft at a cost of about $10 million each. But as the C variant was not available through FMS because of its advanced surveillance equipment, the US would consider selling B variants to India, officials were quoted by the weekly.<br /> <br />The negotiations with the visiting American delegation will hinge on what "package" India wants on board the aircraft and according to sources, talks between the Indian team and Lockheed Martin have so far been positive. <br /><br />Since the talks are directly between the company and the Indian government, no request has been made to the US administration for the aircraft.<br /> <br />According to defence officials, the hostile posture adopted by Pakistan is well known. The Pakistani navy has substantial punch with the acquisition of P3 C Orion aircraft with anti-ship missiles and Agosta 90 B submarine from France which are capable of firing Exocet anti-ship missiles.<br /> <br />A ministry of defence note on the modernisation and upgradation of the Indian Navy had also expressed serious concern over the fact that Chinese navy ships and nuclear submarines have been making sorties in the Indian region. <br /> <br />Though New Delhi and Beijing have strengthened their bilateral relations after the visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee last month, the Indian Navy continues to be wary of Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean and the strengthening of China’s ties with Indian Ocean rim countries. Beijing''s direct military assistance to Islamabad is also cause for concern for New Delhi.<br /> <br />The ministry had noted that there was a need to take note of the inroads made by China in the Indian Ocean rim with countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which could impact India adversely.</div> </div>