Boeing join hands with HAL, MDS for F/A-18 Super Hornet
Boeing has announced a partnership with Hindustann Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS) to manufacture the F/A18 Super Hornet in India for its armed forces and pursue the joint development of future technologies. The partnership is expected to transform India’s aerospace and defence ecosystem.
“Boeing is excited to team up with India’s only company that manufactures combat fighters, HAL, and India’s only company that manufactures utility and surveillance aircraft, Mahindra. This partnership brings the best of Indian public and private enterprises together in partnership with the world’s largest aerospace company, Boeing, to accelerate a contemporary ecosystem for aerospace and defence manufacturing in India,” Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India, said.
“Our partnership with HAL and Mahindra will enable us to optimise the full potential of India’s public and private sector to deliver the next-generation F/A-18 fighter capabilities. Together we can deliver an affordable, combat-proven fighter platform for India, while adding growth momentum to the Indian aerospace ecosystem with manufacturing, skill development, innovation and engineering and job creation,” he said.
“HAL has always been at the forefront of development in India’s aerospace sector. This partnership with Boeing and MDS will create an opportunity to develop capabilities of the aerospace industry and strengthen indigenous platforms in India,” T Suvarna Raju, Chairman and Managing Director, HAL, said.
Future production with Indian partners will involve maximizing indigenous content and producing the F/A-18 in India for its armed forces to create a 21st century aerospace ecosystem. “We are excited about the opportunities that this partnership with Boeing and HAL will provide us. As one of the largest private sector defence companies, we look forward to support the modernization effort of our armed forces and achieve economies of scale in the aerospace and defence sector.” S P Shukla, Group President, Aerospace and Defence, Mahindra Group, and Chairman, MDS, said.
The proposal is to build an entirely new and state-of-the-art production facility that can be utilised for other programmes like India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). This partnership is intended to bring Boeing, HAL and MDS’ global scale supply chain, their best-in-industry precision manufacturing processes, as well as the unrivaled experience in designing and optimising aerospace aerospac production facilities to expand India’s aerospace ecosystem.
T The plan addresses in infrastructure, personnel tr training, and operational to tools and techniques required to produce a next gen fighter aircraft air in India. In addition, Boe Boeing will work closely with Ind Indian industries to ensure they have the very latest technologies by applying lessons learned from the current Super Hornet production line.
As the most advanced and least expensive aircraft per flight hour of its kind, the F/A-18 Super Hornet will deliver to India’s need for a carrier and land-based multi-role fighter. The Super Hornet does not only have a low acquisition cost, but it costs less per flight hour to operate than any other tactical aircraft in the US forces inventory. And with a plan for constant innovation, the F/A-18 Super Hornet will outpace threats, bolster defence capabilities and make India stronger for decades to come.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet has a long life ahead, with the US Navy making significant investments in the latest evolution, the Block III. Key features of the US Navy Block III Super Hornet include enhanced network capability, longer range and low-drag with conformal fuel tanks, long-range detection with infrared search and track, enhanced situational awareness with a new advanced cockpit system, improved signature reduction and a 9,000 plus hour life.