Navy to replace 8 long-range patrol aircraft

"The eight TU-142s, currently being used by us, have to be replaced and we are currently in the process of negotiations with the seller, who quoted the lowest price," Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta said.

The replacements will be arriving in three years' time, he said. Admiral Mehta also said that the aviation wing of the navy has some deficiencies, which have to be sorted out and a special attention needs to be given on the surveillance capabilities. The TU-142s, built by Russian aerospace major Tupolev, were inducted by the Indian Navy in 1988 and are used in surface surveillance and anti-submarine warfare.

Meanwhile, induction of the naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will take time, since certain modifications had still to be made, Mehta said. "The naval version of the LCA will be quite different from the existing version. The Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will have to tackle certain issues," Mehta said.