The US made jet, which has made a comeback after the US Air Force placed an order for 8 which could go up to 72, will join the F/A 18 Super Hornet and the F 21 ( a variant of the F 16) that are already on offer. The more advanced F 35 has not been offered to India, with reluctance over the purchase of Russian S 400 air defence systems

NEW DELHI: The multi-billion dollar Indian program to acquire new fighter jets could see a third American aircraft enter the fray, with permissions being sought to offer the iconic F 15 EX to the air force for its requirement of 114 fighters that are to be produced domestically.

The US made jet, which has made a comeback after the US Air Force placed an order for 8 which could go up to 72, will join the F/A 18 Super Hornet and the F 21 ( a variant of the F 16) that are already on offer. The more advanced F 35 has not been offered to India, with reluctance over the purchase of Russian S 400 air defence systems.

“The Indian Navy and Indian Air Force have distinct operational needs for fighters. While awaiting further definition on the Indian Air Force’s requirements, we have requested a license for the F-15 so that we’re ready to share the full spectrum of potential solutions across our fighter portfolio when appropriate,” a Boeing spokesperson said in response to a query after a US official disclosed the export license application.

The US Company added that the license application is a routine procedural step that will give it flexibility to provide information on the jets when required. “We continue to offer the F/A-18 Super Hornet to both the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force,” the company said.

It may be recalled that in an earlier Indian contest for fighter jets, both the F/A 18 and the F 16 failed to make the technical requirements required during extensive testing. This resulted in a shortlisting of the European Rafale and Eurojet fighters by the air force.

The air force has said that the process to initiate selection of a new fighter is being worked on but has not specified any timeline. The project is being taken up under the Strategic Partnership model where an Indian company will manufacture the new jets in India.

The main contenders besides the US offering are the French Rafale, the Swedish Gripen and the Russian Su 35 and MiG 35. The complex acquisition process would take at least five years to complete. However, in the past the US has preferred the faster Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route when it comes to arms sales to India that comes under a government guarantee.