Russia in fray for IAF's $4bn 126-fighter tender

Russia will contest for the Indian tender for the acquisition of 126 fighters for the Indian Air Force by offering next-generation MiG jets, a top defence official here said.

"India will soon announce a tender for a large batch of light fighters. Russia and the MiG Corporation will proactively participate in the tender," Russia's deputy prime minister and defence minister Sergei Ivanov was quoted as saying by state-run Radio Mayak.

In the Indian tender, Russia's MiG-35 will compete with US, Swedish and French jet fighters for a $4 billion deal. 

Ivanov, who is also chairman of the recently set-up United Aircraft Corporation as a common umbrella for the Russian aviation industry, said the MiG Corporation would offer India its MiG-35 fighters.

The MiG-35, the next generation version of MiG-29M OVT with thrust vectoring engines is a highly manoeuvrable air superiority fighter.

Ivanov said that he would discuss the issue during his New Delhi visit later this month for the annual session of

Indo-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation headed by the defence ministers of the two countries.