India gets P-3 Orions, SH-60 Seahawks……….

After 50 yrs, India poised to get US combat systems
Vishal Thapar
(New Delhi, February 2)
——————————————————————————–

Overcoming five decades of mutual suspicion, India is poised to receive for the first time combat systems from the USA, soon.
Hindustan Times has learnt that the US Departments of State and Defence have cleared the sale of P3 Orion multi-mission maritime aircraft, along with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Sea Hawk helicopters among 21 military systems to India.

Licenses for the sale of the 21 items are now awaiting notification by the US Congress. These items include weapon locating radars, aircraft engines and submarine rescue facilities.

Observers say this marks a watershed in the Indo-US relationship. So far, the US sold India only two squadrons of C-119 Packet transport aircraft in the early 1950s, six two-seater Bel G3 casualty evacuation helicopter and four Sikorsky S55 helicopters around 1958.

But the 1958 US-Pakistan alliance under the Cold War backdrop stopped even the transfer of non-lethal defence equipment to India.

http://www.hindustantimes.com 3 February 2002