Boeing’s sourcing from India has touched $1 billion in 2018.
Boeing has quadrupled sourcing from India. Now, it stands close to $1 billion and will increase in future,” said Michael Koch, Vice-President, Boeing Defense, Space and Security in India.
“Our commitment is to modernise India’s armed forces and also to realise the ‘Make in India’ vision of the government. The company will also roll out its public-private partnership programme with HAL and Mahindra to manufacture next-gen F/A-18 by creating ‘factory-of-the-future’. This, will, again, increase sourcing, creating jobs and also skilled workforce in the aerospace sector,” he added.
The company presented its strategy and plans under the ‘Make in India’ and also offered advanced capabilities to the Indian armed forces at Aero India 2019.
Defense, future plans
Boeing shared its success on ‘Make in India’, and said over 160 suppliers contribute or provide parts and assemblies covering aerostructures, wire harness, composites, forgings, avionics mission systems, and ground support equipment for some of Boeing’s most advanced defence platforms.
In addition, Boeing laid out its offferings: The KC-46A aerial refueller, AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, P-8 long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft, and the twin-engine Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.
Boeing also highlighted its growing services and training footprint in India, which is delivering operational capability and readiness for current platforms at competitive costs.
The P-8I and the C-17 operated by the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force have high mission-readiness rates of 85 per cent, as a result of this.
Indian facilities
For the soon-to-be-inducted AH-64E Apaches and CH-47F(I) Chinooks, the first batch of Indian Air Force pilots has been undergoing training in the US, said Thom Breckenridge, Vice-President, Global Sales, Boeing India.
Boeing also plans to establish rotorcraft training and support capabilities in India as deliveries commence this year.
Further, the company highlighted the delivery of the first batch of AH-64 Apache fuselages by Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited, the joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems Limited, which is the sole-producer of fuselages globally.