NEW DELHI, India, Jan. 10, Reuter: The Indian navy has been consulting a British marine design company over plans for a third aircraft carrier, visiting British Defense Secretary George Younger said on Sunday.
Younger said Indian naval officers had been in consultation with the Swan Hunter Firm, a British High Commission spokesman said.
Indian Defense officials have said they were considering buying blueprints for a carrier to be built at an Indian shipyard.
Younger told a group of Indian journalists on the third day of his visit that Indian Defense official were also discussing the acquisition of British Hawk jet trainee aircraft.
They were also interested it British participation in the upgrading of Indian tanks.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted Younger as saying India was Britain’s fifth largest arms customer, buying about 300 million pounds of armaments last year.
The Indian navy got its second aircraft carrier last May when it bought the former HMS Hermes from Britain, renaming it the Viraat.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 15, 1988
