July 22, 200520 yr US offers warships to India for first time NEW DELHI, JULY 22 (PTI) OutlookIndia For the first time, the United States has offered India military hardware including warships like minesweepers and big landing ships, Chief of Naval staff Admiral Arun Prakash said here today. "The new defence framework being worked out between the two countries provides, for the first time, sale of military hardware," Prakash said as he pointed out that a high-level Naval delegation would visit the US soon to look at American Naval minesweepers and troop and equipment landing ships. According to military experts, the US gesture is significant as so far Washington's defence deals with New Delhi have revolved round sale of weapon locating radars, human detecting sensors and supply of P3C Orions, long-range maritime reconnisance aircraft. On Orions, the Naval chief said the negotiations were at an advanced stage, but at the same time indicated that to serve its purpose, Navy might go in for global tenders for the purchase of such aircraft. In a lengthy interaction with media on the sidelines of the anniversary of a security magazine, Prakash also referred to a "big void" in the country's underwater capability and pointed out that the pending multi-billion Euro deal on acquisition of Scorpene submarines from France would be renegotiated to cover pricing, cost escalation as well as to insert transparency and integrity clauses in the deal. Prakash said the renegotiation would not be on the basic price but on "certain aspects" of it. The Navy was also considering Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology for the Scorpenes, he said.
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