Boeing makes a pitch for F/A18s to India
its F/A-18 Super Hornet to India’s air force and navy, US military contractor Boeing has said the twin-engine fighter plane is cheaper to operate than a single-engine jet, citing a US government study.
In an interview, Boeing defence space and security chief executive Leanne Caret, speaks about the company’s plans to pursue an upcoming multi-billion dollar fighter programme, Make in India opportunities and the defence ecosystem in the country. Edited excerpts:
What brings you here?
I have been doing business in India for almost a decade. There’s incredible talent here and I have always had a general mindset that as a global firm, we need to have that global reach and that local presence, and need to provide that uncompromising service to our customers around the world. I am so excited by all the incredible progress we have made here in India not only in the products and services that we provide but also in how we have a localised workforce of more than 1,500 and we are continuing to grow every day.
Tata Boeing Aerospace (TBAL) inaugurated its facility in Hyderabad today. What is this joint venture (JV) all about?
When you talk about being a global firm and especially if you are US-based, many times it means you are exporting outside the US. However, we believe that a win abroad is a win at home. So this partnership is really critical and as we have looked at future opportunities…just thinking through the lens of exporting the goods wasn’t going to be good enough.
It’s about making sure we take full advantage of the talent and capability here in India. So, the JV is just a series of steps we have taken over the years…One of the first outputs of TBAL will be the Apache fuselage that will be provided to the global market space. It won’t be just for customers here in India but for all our customers.
But Indian customers are also going to get the real benefits of having that product made here.
India is looking at building war planes locally under the ‘Make in India’ plan and the IAF has been asked to come up with its requirements. Will you build F/A18s here?
We believe the F/A-18 provides great capability to the Indian government. We believe it’s a viable candidate in the competition. We obviously need to wait for procurement to begin and for the government to decide whether they are going to have a two-phased competition or a single competition. Boeing will respond appropriately. What we have always committed to from day one is that we are looking to put significant work content here in India, and the actual requirement of fighters will determine the final outcome.
NEWDELHI:Pitching
In a scenario where India is keen to go for F/A18s, will you consider setting up a factory in the country and also export?
We are assessing all options. It goes back again to what is the quantity. If you are talking about a small quantity of aircraft — because they have not come out with the official number — it will dictate what is affordable, because whatever we do has to be affordable.
I met many of the services today. The number one comment across the service branches—army, navy and IAF— was ‘we need affordable’. And making certain we do the right thing that provides best value for money is our focus, and how we can best do that, is where our intent will be.