By IRNA,
India’s Defense Minister A K Antony will be accompanied by top bureaucrats of his ministry and Indian Air Force head Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major on an official three-day visit to Germany beginning on Sunday where he will witness the Berlin air show.
The top bureaucrats of the MoD who will be visiting Germany along with the minister include Defense Secretary Vijay Singh, Defense Production Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Director General Acquisition S.K.
Sharma and Additional Secretary Defense Production Ajoy Acharya.
Minister of State for Defense Production Rao Inderjit Singh will also be attending the Berlin air show later, Asian Age reported here today.
Crucially, Germany is eyeing the lucrative multi-billion dollar deal for acquisition of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft for the IAF.
German diplomats and Air Force officers had attended a press conference in New Delhi to highlight the candidature of the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft manufactured by European consortium EADS.
Germany, a major partner in the Eurofighter project, is strongly backing the bid of EADS.
India will also be attending Germany’s Berlin air show as a ‘partner country in defense’ for the first time, the MoD stated.
Antony will also be visiting the Berlin War Cemetery where 51 Indian soldiers who died in the Second World War have been laid to rest.
The defense minister will return home on May 28.