IssueVol. 29.1 Jan-Mar 2014| Date : 06 Feb , 2014
2013 has been a promising year for Boeing’s defense business in India. Through the year, Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) remained focused on partnering with the Indian armed forces on their achieve their modernization and mission-readiness objectives by delivering five C-17 aircraft to the Indian Air Force and three P-8I aircraft to the Indian Navy.
Boeing is also looking at ways to partner with small- and medium-sized enterprises throughout India.
Boeing ramped up its support and training capabilities to help customers achieve maximum operational and mission- readiness of their products. Boeing is supporting the IAF’s C-17 Globemaster III fleet through the Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics contract. The GISP “virtual fleet” arrangement ensures mission readiness by providing all C-17 customers access to an extensive support network for worldwide parts availability and economies of scale.
Training for Indian Navy crews that will operate and maintain P-8I aircraft continues. The crews completed their training on schedule in Seattle last year. Between February and September last year, Boeing trained more than 110 Indian Navy professionals, including five pilot crews, five mission crews and a number of flight signalers/observers. Pilots, mission systems operators and maintainers received a combination of flight, classroom and lab training.
Boeing at Defexpo 2014
At the eighth Defexpo 2014, Boeing’s broad line-up of defense products and services that are uniquely designed to meet India’s security requirements will be on display. Our commitment to growing the Indian defence and aerospace sector and partnering with customers on their modernization effort will be a dominant theme underlying our presence at the show.
Boeing’s exhibit features large-scale models, interactive displays, a P-8I mobile console, and Virtual Mission Board. The models include mobility and surveillance platforms such as the P-8I maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft and the C-17 strategic airlifter; attack and multi-mission heavy-lift transport helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache, CH-47 Chinook and V-22 Osprey; and unmanned systems. Products from Boeing subsidiaries Tapestry Solutions and Miro Technologies are on display in the Boeing booth and available for demos:
Boeing’s services and support capabilities will be demonstrated during the show through presentations and discussions on lifecycle support tools, training, program based logistics, planning and forecast, and spares management. Opportunities in services and support are significant growth areas for India which will help our customers achieve maximum operational readiness of the products we are selling now and into the future.
Boeing is in negotiations on two key vertical lift platforms – the AH-64 Apache for the attack helicopter requirement of the IAF and the CH-47 for the heavy lift helicopter requirement of the IAF. Boeing’s AH-64D Apache Block III is the most sophisticated attack helicopter in production today and used by the U.S. Army. The IAF will receive the latest version of the AH-64D Apache Block III, which has 26 new technology insertions that make it a lethal platform for the next generation Indian warfighter.
The CH-47 Chinook helicopter has been universally acknowledged as the platform of choice for vertical-lift assault, troop movement, logistics support, aerial battlefield recovery and special operations in peace and conflict. The Indian Air Force will benefit from the Chinook’s multi-mission heavy lift capabilities and its evolving platform, both of which make it relevant well into the future.
In the future, we see opportunities in the areas of rotorcraft platforms such as V-22 Osprey, unmanned airborne systems like the ScanEagle and Integrator, security solutions and network-centric operations systems. We also see sustained opportunities in support and training as a significant growth area for our business in India.
There is a market in India for Boeing’s unmanned systems such as ScanEagle and Integrator. The ScanEagle platform is designed for autonomous field operation. It is capable of being launched from anywhere, stay on station longer and deliver the highest quality data possible to tactical decision-makers. As a low-cost, long-endurance autonomous unmanned vehicle, the ScanEagle is based on Insitu’s Seascan miniature robotic aircraft that draws on Boeing’s systems integration, communications and payload technologies. The ScanEagle has been deployed with the United States Navy since 2005. Its unique ISR and long-endurance capabilities have provided the Navy with real-time intelligence and situational awareness. Its deployment with the Naval Expeditionary Strike Group missions has seen the ScanEagle successfully ship-launched and recovered.
There is a market in India for Boeing’s unmanned systems such as ScanEagle and Integrator.
The Integrator has been with the U.S. Navy program since July 2010 when it won the Small Tactical Unmanned Air System (STUAS) / Tier II competition. Major customers for Insitu’s UAS include the United States Marine Corps, the United States Navy, the United States Army, Special Operations, Australian Defence Force and Canadian Forces.
But sales and deliveries are only one part of Boeing’s defense presence in India. Boeing has an unmatched reputation for delivering world-class industrial partnership programs around the world and bringing to our customers best-of-industry solutions to satisfy their needs. We can do that only through strong industry collaboration. Over the years, Boeing has bought benefits valued at more than USD$43 billion to nearly 40 countries over the past 30 years. We are leveraging this experience to deliver offset programs to India that are in line with India’s defence procurement policies and that meet the Indian Government’s goals to strengthen indigenous aerospace and defense capabilities, enhance its self-reliance and national security, and position Indian industry for growth in the global market.
Boeing has partnered with India’s public sector companies such as Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), as well as major private sector companies such as the Tata Group, Larsen & Toubro, Dynamatic Technologies and Avantel. These partners are delivering world-class quality products to Boeing and are becoming an important part of the company’s worldwide supply-chain for some of the most advanced aircraft in the world.
C-17 Globemaster
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has manufactured F/A-18 gun bay doors, F/A-18 wire harnesses, P-8I weapons bay doors, P-8I tailcones, and P-8I identification friend-or-foe transponders. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has delivered the Indian-designed Data Link II for the P-8I, a communications system that will enable exchange of tactical data and messages between the Indian navy aircraft, ships and shore establishments. BEL has also delivered the identification friend-or-foe interrogator, a battle management system that will enable P-8I aircraft to distinguish friendly aircraft and forces. Finally, BEL is on contract to provide F/A-18 flight deck cockpit panels and has already started delivering on that contract. Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL) provides the Speech Secrecy Systems for the P-8I.
In addition to defense public sector undertakings, private industry companies play a large role in Boeing industrial strategy. Dynamatic Technologies and Tata Advanced Materials Limited (TAML) have already delivered P-8I power and mission equipment cabinets, and TAML is on contract to provide P-8I auxiliary power unit door fairings. Dynamatic Technologies also manufactures the aft pylon and cargo ramp assemblies for Boeing’s CH-47F Chinook. Avantel delivers the mobile satellite systems for the P8I. Maini and TAL Manufacturing Solutions are on contract to provide C-17 ground support equipment.
Boeing is also looking at ways to partner with small- and medium-sized enterprises throughout India.
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