[envenonearo]

The Defence Ministry today cleared a proposal worth over Rs 12,000 crore to procure 56 transport aircraft for the Air Force to replace its fleet of vintage Avro HS-748 planes. Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister A K Antony has agree for IAF proposal to issue a global tender for procuring these aircrafts.

The first 16 aircraft will be procured off-the-shelf from foreign vendors. The next 16 aircraft will have to have 30 per cent indigenous component and the remaining 24 planes will have 60 per cent locally-procured and produced items.

Defence plane maker HAL will not be involved in the project.

IAF is operating Avro from the 1960s and it can carry loads of upto 7-8 tonnes.