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Boeing eyes major military aviation deals with India Published: Sunday, Oct 17, 2010,

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Boeing eyes major military aviation deals with India - Money - DNA

Published: Sunday, Oct 17, 2010, 12:40 IST
Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI

With Indian armed forces looking at a possible $50 billion worth of purchases in the next five years, US major Boeing has set its eyes on garnering a large chunk of that pie which includes the IAF's and navy's requirements of airborne early warning system and mid-air refuellers.

Boeing's vice president and India head Vivek Lall told PTI here that his company had already carried out a briefing for the Navy and IAF on its B 737-700 platform AEW&C, apart from receiving the IAF's tenders for the refuellers. The two deals are estimated to be worth over one billion dollar each.

"Boeing has briefed the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force about Airborne Early Warning and Command (AEW&C) aircraft on the basis of Request for Information (RFI). However, no Request for Proposals (RFP) has been issued as yet," Lall said in an interview.

The AEW&C system that provides for long distance beyond horizon radar coverage encompasses both the B 737-700 aircraft platform and a variety of aircraft control and advanced radar systems.

Comprising components created by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, the B 737 AEW&C represents the future in this force multiplier system.

IAF plans to have at least 10 AEW&C, apart from developing its own system through the DRDO to be fitted on Embraer platform.

"Boeing has received RFP for IAF's requirement of refuellers. We are currently evaluating the RFP to determine whether to bid or not," said Lall, who was appointed Chairman of the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce earlier this week.

Boeing has the KC-767 tanker/transport refueller based on its commercial 767 platform. Boeing is also contemplating developing a variant of its larger 777 design. European consortium EADS' Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport(MRTT) is Boeing's competitor for the contract.

India has already bought three Israeli Phalcon early warning system and plans to get two more of it soon.

With regard to the IAF's tenders for 22 attack and 15 heavy lift transport helicopters, Lall said Boeing's Apache AH-64D and Chinook had completed the flight and weapon trials in both India and the US.

The IAF is awaiting the arrival of the Russian Mil Mi-28 and the Mi-26 for the trials of the two class of helicopters to strengthen its armed chopper and transport fleet.

Lall said the Indo-US negotiations for the 10 C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft deal worth $5.8 billion were progressing well.

"Negotiations are going on well with regard to 10 C-17s. The deal has a 30% offset requirement which will give a boost to the Indian industry. Congressional approvals have already been granted to the deal," Lall said.

Boeing also got a huge boost when India decided to buy the 24 AGM-84L Harpoon Block II air-to-surface missiles and concluded a $170 million deal last month.

"With the contract for the Harpoon missiles, India and US have arrived at an End-User Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) for the first time," he said.

Last year, the two countries had arrived at a generic EUMA agreement, which entails US inspection of systems provided to India to verify usage as required under American laws, was arrived at during the visit of US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and following talks between her and external affairs minister SM Krishna.

The US aerospace major will also be providing eight P-8I maritime reconnaissance and patrol aircraft to the Indian Navy for $2.1 billion early next year and is excited over the prospect of India deciding to opt for four more of these aircraft to take the fleet strength to 12.

"We have not received any formal intimation (on the follow-on order for four more P-8Is) so far," he, however, clarified.

Regarding the $11 billion worth Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), termed 'mother of all deals', Boeing has fielded the F/A-18 Super Hornets to compete with American Lockheed Martin's F-16IN, Russian MiG-RAC's MiG-35, French D'Assault's Rafale, Swedish SAAB's Gripen and EADS' Eurofighter Typhoon.

After the flight and weapon trials of the six contenders for the MMRCA deal, the IAF has submitted its evaluation to the defence ministry for a narrow-down of the contestants to two or three aircraft.

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik had last week assured that the final contract for the most-awaited military aviation business would be concluded by July 2011.

"We have unveiled an international road map for Super Hornets, which would allow India to define its capacity requirements for the future. We have been investing heavily on preparing this road map for the past two years," Lall said on the F/A-18 programme.

"It (road map) provides increased survivability, situational awareness, heightened performance and compelling value for the product. The key attributes of the road map are next generation cockpit, missile laser warnings, internal Infra-Red Search and Track system, enhanced performance engines, conformal fuel tanks and enclosed weapons pod. Some of these have already been offered to India in the Boeing proposals for the MMRCA tenders," he added.
 
After Growler, P-8I, F-8E/F, C-17, AH-64D and Chinook now they offered wedgetail. Its good but India already committed to Phalcon and DRDO awacs for IAF and E-2D for navy.
 
never heard we were offered growlers any news about that

These are the products mentioned in Boeing India website but I think there are more systems are on offer... Out of six, two already bought. Another two are under evaluation and rest two ie Super Hornet and Growler....


P-8I
C-17 Globemaster III
EA-18G Growler
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
CH-47F Chinook
AH-64D Apache Longbow


Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Introduction

Boeing Defense, Space & Security: A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) is one of the world''s largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, BDS is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.

Boeing India Home: Introduction
 
We should go for 100 Apache.

What for? I agree that they are good and we might need a bit more than the 2 squads, but 100 is by far too much. Be it in anti tank, or CAS roles, LCH will be sufficient enough and clearly more cost-effective.


These are the products mentioned in Boeing India website but I think there are more systems are on offer... Out of six, two already bought. Another two are under evaluation and rest two ie Super Hornet and Growler....

They are mentioned there, because they are Boeings latest products, but that doesn't mean they are all on offer for any country.
F18 Growlers are not on offer for India, especially not from US gov! Boeing stated once, that they could offer a Growler lite version for export customers including India, but even that was never confirmed by US officials. And really, what are the chances to get one of the US most high tech systems, when we not even get C130J transporter equipped with all techs?
 
They are mentioned there, because they are Boeings latest products, but that doesn't mean they are all on offer for any country.
F18 Growlers are not on offer for India, especially not from US gov! Boeing stated once, that they could offer a Growler lite version for export customers including India, but even that was never confirmed by US officials. And really, what are the chances to get one of the US most high tech systems, when we not even get C130J transporter equipped with all techs?
Other than Growler rest of the five systems are on offer by both US govt and Boeing. And the Growler is on offer from Boeing only, may not yet cleared by US govt nor India have shown any interest so far. But if India is interested in future than there will be question of US govt's green signal. I don't know whether it will be Yes or No, as India is not interested in many agreements while EA-18G Growler is a special electronic attack aircraft.
 
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