As India Prepares To Commission Its First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, Boeing Hard Sell Its Super Hornets

As the Indian Navy prepares to commission the nation’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, Vikrant, next month, the American aviation giant Boeing on Tuesday made a compelling case for the Indian Navy to select its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters.

Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India, together with the leaders of other American businesses involved in the project—General Electric, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman—reported in a rare joint press conference that the US Navy relies on the Super Hornet Block 3 fighter for its operations.

The Super Hornets will be India’s next carrier-based fighter, according to the head of Boeing India, who forecasted a $3.6 billion economic impact on the country’s aerospace and military industry over the next ten years.

According to him, “the economic benefit would go above and beyond Boeing’s present offset commitments and intentions in the country.”

The most cutting-edge and vital capability is found in the Block III Super Hornet that we are providing to the Indian Navy. The fighter will outpace current threats, enable rapid capability insertion, and have unmatched affordability thanks to its open architecture design and continuously evolving capability suite, according to Steve Parker, vice president and general manager of bombers and fighters at Boeing Defense, Space, and Security.

The Navy is moving quickly to expedite a trial report on an operational demonstration using the French company Dassault Aviation’s Rafale M and the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

By the end of this year, the Navy wants to submit a purchase order to the defence ministry for 26 additional fighters.

This occurs as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to commission the homegrown aircraft carrier, Vikrant, early next month. On July 28, the carrier was handed over to the Navy by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), a Kochi-based shipbuilder.

Boeing India’s future plans

Alain Garcia, vice president, India Business Development, Boeing Defense, Space and Security and Global Services, responded that delivery typically begins three years after a contract is signed when asked how quickly Boeing can deliver the aircraft.

According to Parker, they will deliver it sooner than three years depending on what the Indian Navy needs.

Boeing’s CEO, Gupte, spoke about the company’s goals for India. He added that by continuing to invest in India across five pillars, Boeing hopes to deepen its commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and expand upon its current industrial base.

These include manufacturing and supply chain development, long-term support and training, investments in infrastructure, and contributions from the Hornet Industry Team, which consists of General Electric, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.
According to him, the new strategy expands on Boeing’s $1 billion in yearly procurement from 300 vendors for components, assemblies, and services from Indian providers.

The proposal also considers the possibility of other manufacturing opportunities, such as the component fabrication and assembly of the F/outer A-18’s wing and nose barrel.
In addition, he added, Boeing is considering placing several hundred additional machined assemblies with Indian suppliers.