NEW DELHI: In what may come as a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India campaign, American aviation manufacturer Boeing on Friday said that it will assemble its Chinook heavy-lift helicopters or Apache attack helicopters in India.
“We are much closer to have assembly of one of those aeroplanes (choppers) here. That will play out and that’s our strategy. This market is too important, capability is too high and commitment is significant and that kind of commitment is important for us,” Boeing chairman, Jim McNerney said.
Hoping that India will call for bids for a fighter aircraft over the next couple of years, McNerney showed interest in making state-of-the-art fighter planes in the country.
Boeing currently builds the F/A-18 fighter jets for the US Navy and a few other markets. Its most recent state-of-the art combat plane has been the F-22 Raptor stealth jet which it had built in the last decade with fellow American defence major Lockheed Martin.
India had last month signed a contract for 15 Chinook and 22 Apache helicopters. “Large sections of the Chinook fuselage are already manufactured in India and discussions are ongoing with our Indian partners to make Apache parts,” Boeing India president Pratyush Kumar said.
Several foreign aircraft manufacturers have offered to build their fighter planes in India after the government scrapped the global tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA).
India is in talks with France for a formal pact for off-the-shelf purchase of 36 Rafale jets (two squadrons), Indian Air Force wants at least six more MMRCA-type squadrons.
