NEW DELHI — India has canceled a tender to buy 180 howitzer artillery guns for the third time in 10 years. “The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of the Howitzers was canceled this year (2012) as both the firms participating in the tender were not able to meet the parameters,” Defense Minister A.K. Antony said in parliament on Dec. 12.

NEW DELHI — Russia has begun delivering upgraded MiG-29 fighters to the Indian air force (IAF), with the first three traveling aboard an An-124 transport aircraft. The aircraft were due to arrive Dec. 11. The IAF has awarded the MiG corporation a $900 million contract to upgrade all of its 69 operational MiG-29s. These upgrades include a new avionics kit, with the N-109 radar being replaced by a Phazatron Zhuk-M radar. The upgrades also include improved beyond-visual-range combat ability and an air-to-air refueling capability.

NEW DELHI — The launch of the Indo-French Saral navigational satellite has been delayed until early next year, an Indian space scientist says. The satellite was initially slated to be lofted on Dec. 12 on board the Indian space agency’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C20) – from the space center in Sriharikota in south India.