Fighter aircraft F/A-18 Super Hornet will be manufactured in India for its armed forces by Boeing, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Mahindra Defence Systems, according to agreement signed by the three companies on Thursday.
The Super Hornet will be manufactured in new and state-of-the-art production facility that could later be utilised for other nascent programs like India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft program.
The three companies signed a partnership agreement based on the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Though the location of the new production facility has not been decided yet, the companies said they will sign a joint venture agreement soon.
“Our partnership with HAL and Mahindra will enable us to optimize the full potential of India’s public and private sector to deliver 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,” said president, Boeing India, Pratyush Kumar, in a statement issued at the Defence Exposition in Chennai.
In addition, Boeing will work closely with India industry to ensure they have the very latest technologies, applying lessons learned from the current Super Hornet production line. The Super Hornet has a comparatively low acquisition cost as well as lower costs per flight hour than any other tactical aircraft in U.S. forces inventory.