"There have been over 800 Super Hornets built that are out there and operating from US aircraft carrier decks. That itself is a big differentiator," Alain R Garcia, Vice President for International Business Development at Boeing Defence, Space and Security, said when asked why the Indian Navy should opt for the F/A-18 Super Hornet over the French Rafale-M fighter jet to operate from the decks of its latest aircraft carrier INS Vikrant

The F/A-18E Super Hornet meets the requirements of Indian aircraft carriers better than Dassault Aviation's Rafale M and offers lower operational costs to the Indian Navy. That's the pitch that officials of the Boeing Defence are making to Indian officials on the sidelines of the DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

"The F/A-18 Super Hornet, since its inception, was designed to be a carrier-based aircraft. So what that means is that there are features that allow it to be operated from the aircraft carrier deck. Things like folding wings, for example, are features of a good carrier-based aircraft. It allows the saving of space on the flight deck. When you have smaller flight decks, as the Indian Navy has, this is a very big benefit," Alain R Garcia, Vice President for International Business Development at Boeing Defence, Space and Security, told Asianet Newsable.

To note, earlier this year, two US Navy F/A-18E (single-seater) Super Hornets executed ski jumps, multiple roll-in and fly-in arrestments and performance flights in various weights in the air-to-ground, air-to-surface and air-to-air configurations. The display was made to Indian Navy officials looking to buy a fleet of fighter aircraft for Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant under the government-to-government route.

"There have been over 800 Super Hornets built that are out there and operating from US aircraft carrier decks. That itself is a big differentiator," Alain said when asked why the Indian Navy should opt for the F/A-18 Super Hornet over the French Rafale M fighter jet to operate from the decks of its latest aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

He said there are not as many Rafales in the air on decks as compared to the Super Hornets. "There are maybe around 42 (Rafale Ms)," he said, adding, "What you get out of it (Super Hornet) is a lot of experience and lessons learnt. Besides being able to operate off the carrier deck, there's also the sustainability factor. The aircraft is very low maintenance, equating to a lot of cost savings and lower operational costs. So those are some of the main benefits. I also want to point out that Super Hornet has both single-seat and two-seat platforms that can operate from an aircraft carrier."

Asked how Boeing intends to support the government's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' mission, Alain said that the company intended to build upon the footprint that it already has in the country. "We have a large footprint already in India with platforms like the Indian Navy's P8I surveillance aircraft, the Chinook and the Apache helicopters and the C-17s (heavy lift aircraft). We have submitted an indigenisation roadmap for the F/A 18; we look to build more parts and other sustainable aspects here. It is very easy for us to do because of the footprint that we already have."

Boeing India To Partner MIDHANI

On the sidelines of DefExpo 2022, Boeing India informed that it would assess and collaborate with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) to develop raw materials for standard aerospace parts and components in India.

MIDHANI was established in 1973 by the defence ministry to achieve self-reliance in producing and supplying various super alloys, special steels, and materials to defence and other strategic sectors for nuclear, aeronautical and space applications.

Indigenous availability of special aerospace materials and alloys has been identified as crucial for creating India's self-reliant aerospace and defence industry. The availability of essential aerospace materials is the first step in securing the supply chain and aligns with the Government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Salil Gupte, president of Boeing India, said: "Public Sector Units are an important part of Boeing's supply chain footprint in India. The potential collaboration with MIDHANI will strengthen Boeing's supply base and increase material sourcing options from India."

"This would be a key step in building our India supply chain -- from raw material sourcing to supplying a finished product. It will further our commitment for bolstering India’s growing aerospace and defence ecosystem," he added.