NEW DELHI — India says it has not canceled its plans to buy 197 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters, but “the procurement case is under examination,” according to Defense Minister A.K. Antony. The proposed deal, worth more than $2 billion, has been mired in controversy following allegations that an Indian official had solicited a bribe from bidder AgustaWestland. Antony has said that if any evidence is found of tender deviations or any other misconduct, the deal will be scrapped.

NEW DELHI — Confirming early reports, India on Dec. 5 officially announced that Boeing’s Chinook CH-47F tandem-rotor helicopter has been chosen for the Indian air force (IAF), besting the Russian Mi-26. “In the proposal initiated by the IAF for the procurement of 15 heavy-lift helicopters, Boeing with [the] Chinook helicopter has emerged as the L1 [i.e., lowest-bidding] vendor,” Defense Minister A.K. Antony says. “The cost of the contract would depend upon outcome of the contract negotiation with the L1 Vendor, which has not yet concluded.”

Jet Airways plans to receive five 68-seat ATR 72-600 turboprops by March to replace 18 ATR 72-500 currently operated by the Indian airline. “The delivery of the first aircraft will begin this month and will be complete by March,” says a company spokesman. The short-haul aircraft will operate on the airline’s “domestic network” and “provide enhanced connectivity into the Tier II and III cities and towns across India.”