It was time to celebrate when the State owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Monday delivered the 150th gun bay door for the F/A-18 Super Hornet of Boeing Company.
These gun bay doors being manufactured at the HAL facility in Bengaluru are an example of American aerospace Boeing Company’s ongoing commitment to India and its robust investment in Indian defence and aerospace ecosystem.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet, a twin-engine supersonic all weather, carrier-capable multirole combat jet delivering cutting-edge, next-generation multi-role strike fighter capability and is expected to be offered to the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force (IAF).
As has been reported by Financial Express Online, the IAF will soon invite Expressions of Interest (EoI) from foreign manufacturers for 114 combat aircraft. Top company officer had said that Boeing is ready to set up a completely new production facility in India for the production of its F/A-18 Super Hornets, depending on the numbers of machines ordered by both the Navy and IAF.
State-owned HAL has been Boeing’s long-term supplier in India for quarter of a century and was awarded the contract to manufacture gun bay doors for the Super Hornet in 2007.
Said Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India, “This delivery of the 150th gun bay door for the Super Hornet demonstrates that Indian suppliers are an integral part of Boeing’s global supply chain. This milestone is yet another endorsement of our commitment to India, which is well recognized today, because we’ve been investing and making in India for several years now.”
Adding, “Our investments in India are robust and ongoing, spanning technology, hi-tech innovation, production capacity, establishing a supply chain network, and developing skilling centres for aerospace manufacturing in India.”
“HAL is committed to strengthening aerospace manufacturing in India. This delivery is not just an important milestone for the company but also for Boeing and the Indian industry, ” said its chairman and managing director R Madhavan.
To help realize the Make in India vision to its full potential, the US Company has offered to build a 21st century aerospace ecosystem in India for manufacturing the F/A-18 Super Hornet with Indian partners, HAL and Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS). Such a move is expected to create thousands of jobs and hundreds of suppliers in India.
So far Boeing Company’s sourcing from India stands at $1 billion with over 160 existing industrial partners.
Source: FE
Image Courtesy: Live Fist
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