EADS Defence and Security is establishing a research and development capability in India. The European aerospace group says it will do so irrespective of whether New Delhi chooses to buy the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The company says it plans to employ 200 engineers in India within the next two years to work from a new R&D centre in Bangalore.
"We will do this even before a decision has been made about the MMRCA [medium multi-role combat aircraft] for the Indian air force," it adds.
India's MMRCA contest for at least 126 aircraft is a battle between the Typhoon, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Lockheed Martin F-16, RSK MiG-35 and Saab's Gripen NG.
EADS is a major partner in the four-nation Eurofighter consortium and is heading efforts to win the MMRCA deal. Two German air force Typhoons from Rostock-Laage air base arrived in Bangalore on 18 February for in-country evaluation work that will include hot and high operations.
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Germany also sent Eurofighters to the Aero India 2009 exhibition in Bangalore |
Eurofighter says further evaluation work will be performed in Europe in April. This "will include dropping precision-guided munitions and launching air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles".
Additional reporting by Craig Hoyle in London
Source: Flight International
