India's defense minister says needs 440 helicopters for armed forces

Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley speaks during a news conference in Srinagar June 15, 2014. REUTERS/Danish Ismail/Files

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India needs a total of 440 new helicopters for its armed forces, Defense Minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday, adding that some will be brought from abroad and some will be manufactured domestically. India has several tenders open for purchasing helicopters. (Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)