India to choose supplier of 126 fighters in Oct

NEW DELHI (RIA Novosti) - India will choose the winner of the project to supply 126 fighters for country's air forces this month, Times of India said on Saturday quoting sources in country's Defense Ministry.

The largest tender of arms supplies to India worth $10.4 billion was announced in 2007.

The six contenders, including Russia's MiG-35, Sweden's Gripen, U.S. F/A 18 and F-16, were in race for the tender.

After U.S., Russian and Swedish fighters were excluded from the list this April, the Eurofighter Typhoon, backed by UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, and the French Rafale jets continue their race for the tender.

Under terms of the tender the winner is to invest 50 percent of the contract in jets production in India. The first 18 fighters will be imported, while another 108 will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics, the paper said.