The Ministry of Defence is set to expand its VVIP squadron by inducting six mid-size aircraft, in all possibility from Embraer of Brazil.

According to sources, Defence Minister George Fernandes will be visiting Brazil to finalise the deal in the coming days.

Ever since the National Democratic Alliance government took over, Air Headquarters Communication Squadron based at Palam Airport in New Delhi, which flies the VVIPs, has been really busy.

The number of special flights has shot up, with the deputy prime minister, a post not in existence in recent times, and the defence minister hoping around the country frequently. President Abdul Kalam and Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat follow them closely. Even Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is not too far behind.

The three service chiefs, defence secretary and senior officials of other defence establishments are also authorised to take special flights.

The chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, paramilitary forces, Intelligence Bureau and other officials too get to use the special aircraft. But they usually use the planes available with agencies such as RAW and Border Security Forces and not the IAF.

The main job of flying India's most important people lie on the IAF's legendary Communication Squadron that boasts of some of the country's finest pilots. It is the same squadron that first surveyed Mount Everest to independently confirm the conquest of the highest peak 50 years back by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Money for the purchase of six VIP jets has already been allotted in the defence budget. Since then government has floated 'request for information', which is the first formal step towards acquisition, through its missions abroad.

Besides the pressure created by the increasing number of VIPs flying by the special IAF planes, the government also wants to end the practice of summoning Air India's massive Boeing 747s every time the prime minister and the president takes to the sky.

The VIP squadron currently has a few Boeing 737s, Avros, Dorniers and a couple of helicopters.

The new aircraft to be acquired would have state of the art communication system, and an anti-missile system in place.