LONDON: Most of the 76 British-built Hunter jet fighters bought by the Indian Air Force under a hitherto secret deal have now reached India despite delays in ferrying them owing to the Arab-Israeli war [July 6].

The generous untied loans Britain has given to India enabled the purchase of these aircraft which formerly belonged to the Belgian and Dutch Air Forces. Britain recently suspended the repayment by India of previous sterling credits amounting to 12 million pounds.

Additional sterling credits have been given to India to finance development and imports.

The Hunter jet fighters were purchased by the Hawker Siddeley Company from the Belgian and Dutch Air Forces on behalf of the Indian Air Force and reconditioned at its works near London. Many of these jets have been fitted with FAG-9 engines and new guns and other equipment.

Each time four Hunter jets are flown from here to India in a group led by an Indian Air Force Canberra for navigational purposes. En route the IAF jets stop in Malta, the United Arab Republic and Aden. The recent ArabIsraeli war delayed some of these aircraft in Malta. Correspondent