INDIA: AMERICAN PRIMES GO HEAD-TO-HEAD
Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new fighter jet. The F-21 forms part of a bid for an Indian Air Force (IAF) tender. If bought, the plane would be built in India in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems, and would bring industrial participation and technology transfer.
Lockheed is competing with Boeing’s F/A-18, Saab’s Gripen, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and a Russian aircraft. The tender is for 114 fighter aircraft worth around $20bn.
Previously, Lockheed had offered to move its F-16 production line to India. The company said the F-21 partnership will provide opportunities for Indian companies of all sizes to establish new business relationships with Lockheed.
“The F-21 has common components and learning from Lockheed Martin’s fifth generation F-22 and F-35, and will share a common supply chain on a variety of components,” the company said.
Separately, Boeing announced its own proposal to build F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters in India as part of its bid for the same tender. The company offered to build a “factory of the future” in India, as well as establishing a “globally competitive” Indian supply chain. Discussions were held with partners HAL and Mahindra Defence Systems at Aero India 2019.
“The partners are developing comprehensive plans to set up a new “factory of the future” to manufacture the Super Hornet locally,” Boeing said. “The program is expected to work with several Indian suppliers to grow a thriving defence aerospace base, which could accelerate other programmes.
The facility will create a world-class, highly-trained aerospace workforce.”
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