Aero India 2013: Airbus sees MRTT downselect as opening the door to future Indian opportunities

Airbus Military has high hopes of securing future defence aerospace contracts in India following the recent downselection of its A330 Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft to fulfil the country's aerial refuelling requirement, a senior company official told IHS Jane's on 8 February.

Speaking at the Aero India 2013 Airshow in Bangalore, Ian Elliot, Vice-President Defence Capability Market Development, described the downselect of the A330 MRTT as a "breakthrough" moment in the company's dealings with India.

"It's important to us, not just because we've sold an extra six tankers, but because of the great industrial significance of this breakthrough contract in India. We hope that, through this contract, we will then get to understand the complexities of the Indian market, such that we are well placed for follow-on competitions."

According to Elliot, Airbus is negotiating its offset obligations with a number of Indian companies. He declined to name these companies or how the offset obligations might be met, but said that an announcement would be made later in the year.

Elliot said the next big opportunity for the company in India is the air force's Light Tactical Transport Procurement Programme, which is otherwise known as the Avro replacement programme.