Boeing executives talked about the possibilities for expanding the capability and capacity of the Indian aerospace and defence sector at the Farnborough International Air Show in 2022. For more than 75 years, Boeing has been a dependable partner in India’s aerospace industry, serving as the backbone of the nation’s expanding commercial aviation industry and, more recently, concentrating on the modernisation and mission readiness of the nation’s armed forces.
Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India mentioned that India has one of the world’s fastest growing economies and presents a wealth of opportunities for productivity and growth. Boeing has been operating in India for more than 70 years, and it still supports the nation’s efforts to build its own aerospace and defence industries. Boeing is devoted to assisting and enabling the development of India’s defence industry.
At the Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC), their 3,000+ diverse engineers support Boeing’s defence, space, and commercial businesses by conducting cutting-edge R&D, innovating, and producing high-quality engineering work. The company’s teams in India are dedicated to providing safe products and services to meet the needs of our clients worldwide.
The official said that they are members of the One Boeing team, and are working together to shape India’s aerospace future. They are devoted to flawlessly completing the ongoing projects and assisting India with their ensuing defence requirements.
The “For India – By India” sustainment programme from Boeing builds on the company’s nearly eight decades of involvement in the nation by utilising current initiatives, expanding supply chain capabilities, and collaborating with the local business community.
On the other hand, Heidi Grant, president, Business Development opined that Boeing is still dedicated to doing everything in its power to ensure that the world can safely withstand the pandemic. They are taking the time to carefully consider the needs of our international customers as we start to recover from the pandemic, and have updated their business plan to be more flexible. As per them, it’s been amazing to see how the US-India bilateral relationship has changed fundamentally and transformed over the past 15 years as the two countries’ shared interest in a peaceful, stable, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region has grown stronger and stronger. Both nations have made significant strides in their strategic defence relations, from holding military drills and bilateral and multilateral security dialogues to advancing technology transfer, and India is now a significant defence partner of the United States.
The official further slated that the organisation as an OEM, the investments Boeing has made in India’s supply chain are crucial. It enables them to lessen the impact of global disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. Boeing is still dedicated to helping its customers with their current defence programmes, including the C-17, P-8I, AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook, and Harpoons. The company is also open to discussing future capabilities and demands for the Indian armed forces.
India is one of Boeing’s top defence customers, and Boeing is crucial to the modernisation and mission readiness of India’s armed forces. When they discuss Boeing and India, they potentially are discussing a number of firsts. The Indian Navy, which currently operates 12 P-8I aircraft, received its first order from a foreign country when it did so. With 11 aircraft in service, India is the largest international operator of C-17s outside of the US. The Harpoon missile was the first weapon system mounted on a fighter that was designed and constructed in India (Jaguar). The AH-64 Apache advanced attack helicopter and the CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter are also flown by the Indian Air Force.
In the context of the military-to-military relationship, which has enormous potential both now and in the future, they are witnessing increased maritime security. The use of the P-8I fleet for missions in the Indian Ocean region and the strong likelihood that Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet will meet the demand for Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters could advance maritime cooperation between the two nations and the security agenda.
According to the company, their sales of the platforms are accompanied by a commitment to their services. Through Boeing Defence India, Boeing offers services that guarantee high fleet availability at cost-effective prices for their customers. For Boeing aircraft like the P-8I, C-17, Apache, Chinook, and Head of State aircraft, they are efficiently working with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy to provide operational capability and readiness, and those rates have been incredibly high. The investments, they say they have made in infrastructure, the development of local capability, the workforce, and local partnerships are also part of the commitment to providing services, and they are all accelerating their strategy to offer lifecycle value to their customers in India.
What the official says about the company’s specific objectives?
Commitment to Defence Modernisation: The company says that they regularly communicate with our Indian clients to better understand their needs and determine how Boeing’s cutting-edge portfolio of goods and services can meet them. As the armed services continue to modernise their fleets, we expect a need for fighters, military helicopters, mobility and tankers, as well as ISR capacity in the context of maritime surveillance and marine domain awareness.
Delivering on its promises: Due to our sustainment and training priorities, the platforms operated by the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force have experienced high levels of mission readiness and availability. This is a testament to Boeing’s dedication to upholding its commitments. Boeing will continue to place a high priority on enhancing and investing in these service capabilities. We also accomplish this globally through our broad range of service offerings, which encompasses, among other things, performance-based logistics, digital solutions, data analysis combined with engineering skills, and other services.
F/A-18 Super Hornet: We were happy with how our F/A-18 Super Hornets performed during carrier test flights in Goa in May and June. We proved that the Super Hornet can operate from a STOBAR aircraft carrier while meeting or exceeding the test criteria.
The F/A-18 will give the Indian Navy a tried-and-true, multi-role, carrier-compatible fighter while also gaining access to the resources, advancements, and expertise found in the US Navy’s extensive naval aviation ecosystem. More than 800 Super Hornets and EA-18 Growlers, the F/electronic A-18’s attack variant, are used by the US Navy. The F/A-18 Super Hornet was created primarily for carrier operations, can fly from aircraft carriers used by the Indian Navy, and will meet or surpass STOBAR performance standards.
Further, the official said that the Block III design of the Super Hornet is ideal for defending India’s maritime interests. For a secure Indo-Pacific, we think the Super Hornet and P-8I will create potential for increased collaboration between the two navies.
The diversity and power of the entire Hornet Industry Team at Boeing, which also includes General Electric, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon, has the potential to significantly advance Indian business.
Make in India: Some of Boeing’s most cutting-edge aircraft, such as the FA-18, F-15EX, P-8, CH-47 Chinook, AH-64 Apache, T-7, and V-22, are built with the help of more than 280 Indian suppliers who are a part of the company’s worldwide supply chain. For the full life cycle of an aircraft, including aerostructures, composites, machined parts and assemblies, wire harnesses, cockpit panels, aluminium raw materials, forgings, avionics, mission systems, mechanical and electrical standard parts, tooling, and ground support equipment, Boeing currently sources parts, assemblies, and services from Indian suppliers. Particularly, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) supplies the gun bay doors and Rossell Techsys supplies the wire harnesses for the F/A-18. Additionally, there may be a transfer opportunity for the F/A-18 work packages.
Numerous more machined assemblies that may be ordered from the proper Indian suppliers are being examined by Boeing. General Electric, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon are all members of Boeing’s entire Hornet Industry Team (HIT), which has the potential to be very beneficial to Indian business.
P-8I: On the other hand, the P-8I satisfies the Indian Ocean Region’s need for long-range maritime surveillance and ASW requirements. The Indian Navy has stated that it intends to add to its current fleet of 12 P-8I aircraft in order to meet this need. The Navy uses the P-8Is extensively and they are quite effective. There are chances for interoperability as part of Quad with the P-8s being used by the fleets of Australia, the United States, and India (140+ P-8s are in service globally; over 400,000 flying hours). Additionally, India’s purchase of the P-8I has generated substantial economic gains and employment opportunities for aerospace and military firms in India that are now a part of the Boeing supply chain and provide intricate parts and components for BDS products, including the P-8I MRO.
Tanker: From our perspective, India is interested in the ability of the tankers. India needs to refuel its aircraft, and we hope that India will be one of the nations giving Boeing’s tanker solutions considerable consideration, as concluded by the official.
– The writer is an Aerospace and Defence Analyst & Director ADD Engineering Components (India) Pvt Ltd (An Indo- German Company). The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
