New Delhi, Feb. 5: Defence minister A.K. Antony today said the government was on the verge of buying big for the Indian Air Force, ratcheting up tension among global aviation companies that have flocked to Bangalore for an airshow beginning on Wednesday.

A record number of companies are in India for Aero India 2007 at Yelahanka near Bangalore mainly because the IAF is one of the largest — arguably the single largest — buyer of military aircraft today.

Antony’s announcement in the presence of air force chiefs and/or their representatives made two points: first, India was saying through its air force that it is a military power to contend with in South and East Asia and, second, China’s recent experiment with a satellite-killer missile has only whetted India’s appetite for more arms. All this comes with the rider that Antony has carried into the defence ministry with his reputation and persona: that the purchases will have to be clean.

Aero India 2007 is easily the biggest event of its kind east of Suez and the IAF’s shopping list has brought all major firms and their government backers to India. The biggest purchase would be a block of 126 multi-role combat aircraft that the IAF is proposing to buy. The order is tantalising US, European and Russian firms because it could be as much as $9 billion over 10 years.

Even if Aero India will not be the venue for the decision to buy the aircraft, the presence of the companies is being taken by the government as a demonstration of their commitment. The government finalised the deal to buy 66 Hawk advanced jet trainers from British Aerospace Systems after the one such show in 2003, making it the biggest single purchase by the IAF till date.