BY : stltoday



India’s plan to buy 126 fighter jets is one of the biggest competitions on the plate of Boeing Co.’s St. Louis-based defense unit. But it’ll be on the plate for quite a while yet, Integrated Defense Systems chief Jim Albaugh predicted today.

Albaugh told reporters in Singapore Friday that he thinks India will select a winner for the $10 to $11 billion job ”no sooner than” 2010, according to this Bloomberg report. It’s choosing between bids submitted last month by Boeing (for its St. Louis-built F/A-18 Super Hornet), Lockheed Martin, SAAB AB, MiG, Dassault Aviation and the European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co.

Albaugh sees international sales as a growing chunk of IDS’ business, especially for plane-making contracts, in the next few years, and the Indian contract is one of the biggest deals out there. Until recently, the country has bought few weapons from U.S. contractors, but, with relations improving, both Boeing and Lockheed see it as a huge potential market.