US to manufacture F-16s and F-18s in India
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According to a report in Washington Post, Lockheed Martin and Boeing have made proposals to the Indian government to manufacture fighter jets — the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the F/A-18 Super Hornet — in India.
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In both cases, the aviation companies would be building production facilities in India; Lockheed Martin proposes to move its entire F-16 assembly line from Texas to India, making India the sole producer of the single-engine combat aircraft.
Last Thursday, the president-elect attended a ceremony at a company where his team has brokered a deal to save 1000 jobs. Later, he warned US companies of consequences if they outsource employment.
The proposals have the strong backing of the Obama administration, and Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter is set to visit India this week.
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Although, Lockheed Martin and Boeing claimed that any partnership to manufacture jets in India would not result in a net loss of American jobs but would create Indian employment — about 1,000 positions in the case of Lockheed Martin.
