A combat proven Boeing (BA) F/A-18 Super Hornet in action over the Syrian sky

Boeing (BA) F/A-18 Super Hornets and Russian MiG-35 fighters jets may be included in India's fighter contest as New Delhi looks to replace its Soviet-era fighters.

India has reportedly asked its air force if its fighter requirements could be expanded to include twin-engine jets after Lockheed Martin's (LMT) F-16s and SAAB's Gripen single-engine offerings were the only jets to meet prior requirements, sources told Bloomberg.

If India makes the move, that would appear to open the door to Boeing and Russia's United Aircraft Corp., which makes the MiG, to offer up their jets.

But India's defense procurement process is notoriously long and corruption is widespread and it could be some time before India actually commits to a new jet.

Still, India's potential may be too lucrative to resist, as the government has said it needs as many as 400 new fighters total.

For the upcoming contracts, Jane's Information Group estimates the Indian air force is looking to buy at least 100 jets worth about $15 billion with the navy ordering 57 planes worth about $10 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Prime Minister Modi has made modernizing India's military a priority and is looking to spend $250 billion on it.

U.S. defense contractors have also made India a priority and Lockheed agreed last year to send its Texas-based F-16 production line to India if it's picked to supply fighters.

Foreign Super Hornet sales are also key for Boeing as the company looks to extend the aircraft's production line.

But the procurement process has been convoluted. India initially awarded France's Dassault Aviation an $11 billion deal in 2007 for 126 Rafale jets, beating out the F/A-18, F-16, MiG-35, SAAB's Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

But in 2016, New Delhi canceled that deal and instead agreed to buy just 36 fighters from Dassault as a stopgap as it restarts the fighter contest.