Boeing, HAL and Mahindra to build F18 Super Hornet jets in India
CHENNAI: Barely a week after the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched a fresh hunt for warplanes, US aerospace major Boeing on Thursday announced a partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS) for building F/A-18 Super Hornet jets in India.
The IAF put out a request for information for building 110 jets in India on April 6, asking global plane manufacturers to respond with the operational features and technical parameters of their platforms within three months.
“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 21st century ecosystem for aerospace & defence manufacturing in India,” said Pratyush Kumar, president, Boeing India.
A Boeing release issued at DefExpo-2018 said the Super Hornet Make-in-India proposal is to build a state-of-the-art production facility that can be used for other programmes like India’s advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) project.
HT had reported on March 12 that the multi-billion-dollar project to build new jets in India will be directly linked to the development of the AMCA, an indigenous futuristic stealth fighter. Six global aircraft makers are likely to compete for the IAF’s order.