WASHINGTON – Boeing is in talks with the Indian Navy to sell its F/A-18Hornet fighter jets in a bid to gain a bigger share of the defense marketin the South Asian country, the world’s biggest arms importer.A lot of technical evaluation has yet to take place, Gene Cunningham,Boeing’s vice president for defense, space and security, told reporters atthe Singapore Airshow.
The company is also seeing opportunities for its KC-46 multirole tanker inIndia and other countries, Cunningham said.
The Navy last year invited proposals for 57 jets for its aircraft carriers,while Air Force is seeking at least 100 planes.
Boeing and Saab AB have said both the orders should be combined, whichwould make it the world’s biggest fighter jet order in play.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who plans to spend $250 billion in the comingyears on defense equipment from fighter jets to guns and helmets, wantsIndia and local companies to get a share of the deals it enters into bycalling on foreign manufacturers to make products locally.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin Corp. and others have said they will produce inIndia if they win contracts large enough to make investments worthwhile.
Boeing expects the US to decide on the T-X program in mid-2018, Cunninghamsaid. Boeing and Lockheed are vying for a $16 billion opportunity to buildthe US Air Force’s new training jet, with foreign sales set to provide anadditional boost.
Rising F-35 production and an aging fleet of trainer aircraft drive plansto build 350 of the T-X jets. Bloomberg