Boeing offers 'made in India' F 18 Super Hornets

[sorcerer]

Are Boeing and India About to Open the Door on a Possible F/A-18 Super Hornet Deal?
Boeing may be interested in manufacturing the F/A-18 Super Hornet in India.

U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing is in talks with the Indian government to manufacture its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters in India, according to comments by the company’s chief executive officer, Dennis Muilenberg. Muilenberg, who is visiting India for the first time, said that Boeing is in “conversation” with India to manufacture the F/A-18, a multirole fighter, in India. Muilenberg’s remarks come after Boeing’s chairman, James McNerney, said in October that the company would be happy to manufacture the F/A-18 in India provided the Indian Air Force would express interest in purchasing and operating the jets.
(catch 1

“We are taking a hard look at the opportunity for the F18 fighter jet as an area where we can build industrial capacity, supply chain partnerships, technical depth, design and manufacturing capability in India, providing an operational capability that is useful for Indian defence forces,” Muilenberg said in New Delhi earlier this week. ”Make in India is an enabler aligned with that strategy,” he added, referencing the Indian government’s program to encourage indigenous manufacturing.

The F/A-18 was considered as part of India’s now-dead medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender, losing out to France’s Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter. Having left the MMRCA tender behind officially, New Delhi has chosen to still stick with the Rafale, opting to conclude the deal through a government-to-government deal with no domestic manufacturing component. (Instead, talks on the Rafale deal are hung up on the issue of offset spending clauses, which would require France to reinvest part of the revenue from the deal in India.) The final deal is for 36 fighters—far short of the 126 envisaged under the MMRCA.

That comments from Boeing regarding the possibility of F/A-18 manufacturing in India are occurring now is not entirely surprising. The U.S. firm could see an opportunity with the still held-up Rafale deal. In fact, the offer to manufacture the F/A-18 in India addresses one of the main lost attractions of the MMRCA procurement program—a domestic manufacturing component with technology transfer.

“Our intent here is to build an industrial framework for the long run that builds on the aerospace investments being made not only by programme, but also by long-term industrial capacity that is globally competitive,” Muilenberg noted in India, clearly marketing his comments to those in India who would love to see a major firm like Boeing invest in India’s homegrown manufacturing sector.

The F/A-18 could be attractive to India for a variety of reasons. Notably, New Delhi is modernizing its carriers and working on its next-generation 65,000 ton Vikrant-class aircraft carrier. India and the United States have a working group on carrier cooperation, and it’s possible that India’s second indigenous aircraft carrier could implement General Electric’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) with a Catapult-Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) launch system for its air wing. If Boeing is serious about talking to India about the F/A-18, that may give U.S.-India cooperation on carrier technology a boost, making the adoption of EMALS CATOBAR system more likely. (catch 2)

There’s a lot to consider with these comments from Boeing’s chief executive. As the MMRCA saga and ongoing talks over the Rafale deal attest, India has faced its share of difficulties in procuring a fourth-generation multi-role fighter. The conclusion of the Rafale deal, which is very likely, will make an F/A-18 acquisition unlikely given the complicated logistics and high maintenance costs for the IAF in managing a fighter fleet consisting of a hodge podge of Russia, French, and U.S. jets.

Muilenburg’s remarks open an interesting door for India. The IAF continues to run a fighter shortage that won’t be solved by the conclusion and delivery of 36 Rafales. The F/A-18 prospect has its problems, but it’s far from an unthinkable option at this point. As always, however, the devil will be in the details. If Boeing and New Delhi open the door to official talks and start discussing an order, history tells us that it could be years before Indian pilots are flying U.S. fighters.

http://thediplomat.com/2016/02/are-...e-door-on-a-possible-fa-18-super-hornet-deal/

 

[salute]

no more foreign jets after rafales and pakfa enough bs,

these american companies only wants big pies that french and mostly russian enjoyed all these years,

omg, modi is not corrupt,now bring back congis.

 

[Immanuel]

The Super Hornet International is still a better proposition than the Rafale, made in India version would be at least 30% cheaper in acquisition cost and 50% cheaper in life cycle costs than the Rafale. Actually since day-1 it was the only aircraft for IAF service in the MRCA. IAF needs a workhorse with reasonable operating costs and decent overall capabilities and SH was the best in the mix. Furthermore, with common engines with the LCA mk-2, we would save at least 2-3 billion over their lifetimes.

 

[Immanuel]

Lots of nations are phasing out f-18s..India shouldnt buy this..
If US thinks that India is pakistan who will buy ANY THING from USA..they are very wrong.
Hasnt the USA learned it with a lot of bounced deals?
Or
is the blonde jokes really true?

Boeing is finding it difficult to provide maintenance to nations which had already brought f-18 becasue USA has shut down support for F-18 at many levels.

Its no love for India..but checking out a place to manufacture f-18 at low cost.

Can you provide some sources for your claim that Hornets are not being supported any more? Hundreds of Hornets and SH are still supported in the US alone.

 

[sorcerer]

Can you provide some sources for your claim that Hornets are not being supported any more? Hundreds of Hornets and SH are still supported in the US alone.

There is already an f-18 discussion here on another thread.

defenceforumindia.com/forum/threads/boeing-in-favor-of-made-in-india-f18s-for-iaf.73056/page-2

Today there are increasing fears that the F/A-18 Super Hornet assembly line may be shut down because of dwindling orders, as the Navy prepares for a new generation of warplane -- the controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.



The new radar-evading jet is scheduled to be the F/A-18's eventual successor when it becomes operational in 2019. It's only about halfway through its development plan and has been plagued by billions of dollars' worth of cost overruns. There has also been a string of technical problems, including a redesign of its arresting hook, which is essential to landing on a carrier deck.



Workers at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s 1-million-square-foot El Segundo facility on Aviation Boulevard have been cranking out fuselage sections for the Navy's F/A-18 fighter jet for decades.

But now, the end may be near.

Since entering service in 1983, the lithe twin-engine fighter-bomber has been a symbol of U.S. military might, catapulting from aircraft carrier decks and obliterating targets in the sky and on the ground.

Today there are increasing fears that the F/A-18 Super Hornet assembly line may be shut down because of dwindling orders, as the Navy prepares for a new generation of warplane -- the controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The new radar-evading jet is scheduled to be the F/A-18's eventual successor when it becomes operational in 2019. It's only about halfway through its development plan and has been plagued by billions of dollars' worth of cost overruns. There has also been a string of technical problems, including a redesign of its arresting hook, which is essential to landing on a carrier deck.

For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, February 26, 2014 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 4 News Desk 1 inches; 51 words Type of Material: Correction
Super Hornet: An article in the Feb. 22 Business section about plans to replace the Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter with the F-35 included a caption that said the Super Hornet pictured was taking off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Nimitz. The aircraft was landing, not taking off.

Now the Obama administration must decide by March 4 -- when its fiscal 2015 budget request is sent to Congress -- whether it wants any more F/A-18s. Then it will be up to Congress whether to go along.

With no new orders, the last F/A-18 fuselage is set to be hoisted onto an 18-wheeler for the 1,800-mile trek from El Segundo to prime contractor Boeing Co.'s final assembly plant in St. Louis by the end of 2016.

John Murnane, Northrop's program manager, said there are nearly 100 fuselages left to deliver to Boeing, and contractors are hopeful for more.

"We continue to work with our industry partners to identify future opportunities," he said. "The program has always received strong support from its customers."

To give customers more time and to extend the line's life several months, Boeing and Northrop have slowed production rates from four per month to three. The aerospace giants have also proposed a more fuel efficient, stealthy version of the plane as a potential alternative. To lower costs, Boeing negotiated a new tentative contract agreement with a St. Louis machinists union.

If political maneuvering and a fresh sales pitch don't work, the El Segundo assembly line could join dozens of other airplane manufacturing plants that have had to close their doors. The latest is Boeing's sprawling Long Beach plant, where the last hulking C-17 cargo plane is to be built next year.
http://articles.latimes.com/2014/feb/22/business/la-fi-hornet-fighter-future-20140222

http://news.usni.org/2013/12/26/major-work-replace-navys-super-hornet-start-2015
Major Work to Replace Navy’s Super Hornet to Start in 2015
The U.S. Navy expects to undertake an analysis of alternatives (AoA) for its F/A-XX next-generation replacement for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet starting in fiscal year 2015.

The new aircraft and its associated “family of systems” would be expected to become operational around 2035.

“We’re doing study work right now to neck down what it is that we’re going to spend our money on in the analysis of alternatives,” Rear Adm. Mike Manazir told USNI News on Dec. 20.
“But at the beginning of fiscal year ’15, we will start that analysis of alternatives, which will then start the acquisition process to get an airplane in 2030.”

The Navy does not yet know what kind of aircraft the F/A-XX will be, but the service is working on defining exactly what capabilities it will need when the Super Hornet fleet starts to exhaust their 9,000-hour airframe lives around 2035.

Admiral: Corrosion Damage on F/A-18 Hornets ‘Caught Us by Surprise’
The extent of corrosion damage on the U.S. military’s F/A-18 Hornet fleet is requiring more maintenance than expected, an admiral said.

The Navy and Marine Corps are flying the legacy fighter jets longer than planned — 10,000 flight hours, up from 6,000 flight hours — because of delays in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, according to Rear Adm. Michael Manazir, the service’s director of air warfare. As a result, the 1980s-era, twin-engine aircraft is experiencing a high degree of wear and tear, including corrosion.

“The corrosion impacts, I would say, caught us by surprise,” he said this week during a Navy and Marine Corps aviation conference on Capitol Hill. “When we opened them up and realized the extent of the corrosion damage, we realized we couldn’t just replace the parts we were going to replace. We had to put those airplanes aside.”

There are approximately 620 F/A-18A/D Hornets currently in service, according to a 2015 report on naval programs. The Marine Corps still flies the aircraft as a frontline fighter, while the Navy operates the plane behind the newer F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. Marines in recent months have flown F/A-18s to strike militants affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

COMPOSITE VS METAL

The services had been replacing worn out parts and other components on the F/A-18 as part of a maintenance program to ensure the aircraft could reach a service life of 6,000 flight hours, Manazir said. Extending that engineering effort to yield 10,000 flight hours “would normally be a straightforward task — if it weren’t for the corrosion created by the environments we operate in,” he said.

Complicating the effort was an assumption made by the Navy decades ago that the Hornet, as a composite aircraft, wouldn’t require the same level of corrosion-prevention work as older, mostly metal planes, such as the F-14 Tomcat, A-6 Intruder and the A-7 Corsair II, Manazir said.

“We had not planned on operating the Hornet past 6,000 hours,” he said. “So we did not do the normal corrosion control processes that we used to use on metal airplanes, like the Tomcats, A-6s, A-7s. We understood what corrosion was on metal. The science is different on corrosion on composites.”

In addition, the damage to the aircraft isn’t uniform and appears to be affecting different parts and structures, Manazir said. “They made each airplane coming into the depot kind of a one-off,” he said. “We realized we couldn’t just replace the parts — we also had to look at the corrosion on the surrounding framework.”

SITTING IDLE

Manazir didn’t say how many Hornets are down for repairs at depots. But they’re among an ongoing aircraft shortfall that’s estimated to be more than 100 planes through 2020, he said. The problem is exacerbated by mandatory spending caps that limit available maintenance funding, he said.

“That equates to two to three squadrons,” he said.

What’s more, the maintenance woes aren’t limited to F/A-18s. The Marine Corps wasn’t able to deploy CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters to assist with earthquake relief efforts in Nepal this spring because of a wiring issue that required replacing hydraulic lines, according to Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant of aviation.

The Corps instead dispatched to the country UH-1Y Huey helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. The deadly May 12 helicopter crash that killed six Marines and two Nepalese soldiers is believed to have been caused by bad weather in the Himalayas.

Meanwhile, the Corps’ F-35B jump-set variant, is scheduled to enter so-called initial operational capability, or IOC, later this year, followed by the Air Force’s F-35A conventional version in the latter half of 2016, followed by the Navy’s F-35C aircraft carrier variant in late 2018 or early 2019.

http://dodbuzz.com/2015/06/05/admiral-corrosion-damage-on-f-18-hornets-caught-us-by-surprise/

 

[Cutting Edge]

Hmm... I wonder which lobby is sponsoring these misleading articles? I guess the same lobby that is dying to give Trump to a Nobel price!

India jet-fighter deal poses threat to Boeing, Lockheed jobs in U.S.
Originally published December 28, 2016 at 5:03 pm Updated December 28, 2016 at 7:21 pm

Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet combat jets sit aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. (Julian Abram Wainwright/Bloomberg)
India wants about 200 fighter jets to update its air force, and Boeing and Lockheed are likely bidders. But India’s officials have made clear that companies that want to sell fighter planes will have to make them in India.

Share story
By
Jim Gallagher
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS — The recent hubbub over President-elect Donald Trump’s criticism of Boeing and Lockheed Martin over the cost of their U.S. aircraft contracts overshadowed a potentially thornier issue for a leader who has pledged to keep jobs in America: The two U.S. companies want to build fighter jets in India.

Trump isn’t the only national leader intent on expanding jobs at home. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing his “Make in India” program with a goal of developing a sophisticated Indian defense industry.

India wants roughly 200 fighters to update its air force. And Modi has made it clear that defense companies that want to sell fighter planes to India will have to make them in India and share technical knowledge with Indian business partners. In effect, the company that wins the Indian contract would help create its own competitor.

Boeing’s offer would be the F/A-18 Super Hornet. St. Louis is the only place where the aircraft are assembled, although parts come from around the country.

The Super Hornet and its electronic warfare variant, the EA-18G Growler, employ thousands in St. Louis at Boeing and its contractors.

While an Indian plant would at first make planes for India, it might eventually make them for other nations, too, raising questions about jobs in St. Louis over the long term

Lockheed Martin, Boeing’s archrival for international sales, has proposed to build an F-16 Fighting Falcon line in India if it wins the contract. The two U.S. companies face possible competition from the Swedish SAAB Gripen and French Dassault Rafale fighters.

Talks are in early stages, and India hasn’t yet issued a formal call for bids. An Indian assembly plant is unlikely to be up and running until well into the next decade.

“Coproduction” is a frequent part of international defense sales. Manufacturers agree to buy parts for the product from the purchasing nation. But building the plane itself abroad is unusual.

Asked about an Indian operation’s impact on employment, Boeing said its St. Louis production line has a “solid future” with enough orders to carry it “well into the 2020s.”

“We’re optimistic about the opportunity to continue our work in St. Louis and add a new production line in India which would also create more opportunities for our entire Super Hornet supply chain,” the company said in an email.

The Defense Department, under President Obama, has seemed happy to go along. Although India is not an American ally, relations have warmed in recent years and military cooperation has been increasing.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter, speaking to Congress last spring, noted “growing enthusiasm of U.S.-India partnership” and predicted “a landmark coproduction agreement that will bring our two countries closer together and make our militaries stronger.”

Trump, however, has pledged to retaliate against companies that move American jobs abroad. It’s unclear how his administration might view an Indian Super Hornet or F-16 plant.

“Given the numerous tweets and comments over several weeks, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is brought up or revisited,” said Jeff Windau, an analyst who follows Boeing for Edward Jones Investments.

On one hand, the Indians would buy another nation’s fighters if Boeing or Lockheed refused to build in India. The Hornets or F-16s built in India would still draw parts from the U.S.

But the Indian plant, and the industry it would help create, could eventually pull orders and jobs from America, especially if it began making Super Hornets for other countries.

The Indians would also get a close-up view of very sophisticated American technology and manufacturing techniques.

“Absolutely, it’s sensitive technology,” said Loren Thompson, defense analyst and chief operating officer at the Lexington Institute in Northern Virginia. “The Super Hornet is not stealthy, but its electronics and weapons systems are state of the art.”

The Super Hornet’s future was once in doubt, but Boeing recently has been piling up orders. The Obama administration in September approved the sale of 28 to Kuwait, and Canada last month announced plans to buy 18 more.

Boeing has enough orders to keep the St. Louis line running well into the next decade.

By contrast, the Lockheed F-16 program is winding down in the U.S.

“I think it would be easier for Lockheed to set up an F-16 line in India than for Boeing to do it for the Super Hornet,” said Thompson. “It just seems unlikely that planes being produced in the U.S. would be manufactured in India.”

Lockheed wants to use its current F-16 plant to expand production of the new F-35 joint strike fighter, he noted.

Union leaders in St. Louis recently learned of the Indian issue, from news reports.

“We usually find out after the thing is settled,” said Steve McDerman, president of the International Association of Machinists Local 837 in St. Louis.

http://www.seattletimes.com/busines...l-poses-threat-to-boeing-lockheed-jobs-in-us/

 

[WolfPack86]

If there is no F-18 and F-16 sale to India then we are wasting our time by talking to them. If Trump block F-18 and F-16 fighter sale to India then he is doing blunder to his own country. Only Rafale under 'Make in India' make sense there is back channel talks going on in between Dassult Aviation and Indian govt. There is going to be good news in between 3 months January, February and March 2017. Refer to Indian Defence.com website Parikrama a defense think tank analyst http://*****************/threads/rafale-deal-signed.56201/page-63 http://*****************/threads/rafale-deal-signed.56201/page-64

 

[tharun]

Please god block this birds coming into Indian airspace...

 

[Zebra]

Please god block this birds coming into Indian airspace...

Only these aircrafts can stop BJP politicians from behaving like 'Stalin of India'.

BTW, Modi already announced his desire, when he talked about, he wants India to be there where Russia was in past and China is today.

And he can't achieve it without being 'Stalin of India'.

Very simple.

 

[Zebra]

India jet-fighter deal poses threat to Boeing, Lockheed jobs in U.S.
Originally published December 28, 2016 at 5:03 pm Updated December 28, 2016 at 7:21 pm
.................................
But the Indian plant, and the industry it would help create, could eventually pull orders and jobs from America, especially if it began making Super Hornets for other countries.
.....................................
.......................................
http://www.seattletimes.com/busines...l-poses-threat-to-boeing-lockheed-jobs-in-us/

In other words, Modi use this type of tactics as a tool, (check that red color part).

Just to avoid US fighter aircrafts for IAF.

 

[tharun]

Only these aircrafts can stop BJP politicians from behaving like 'Stalin of India'.

BTW, Modi already announced his desire, when he talked about, he wants India to be there where Russia was in past and China is today.

And he can't achieve it without being 'Stalin of India'.

Very simple.

Can you explain me in detailed..i can't get get your message

 

[Cutting Edge]

In other words, Modi use this type of tactics as a tool, (check that red color part).

Just to avoid US fighter aircrafts for IAF.

????? I am not getting your point!

 

[Zebra]

????? I am not getting your point!

Add one after one demands and wait and drag up to that stage where US might be not happy to fulfil some of demands.

 

[Zebra]

Can you explain me in detailed..i can't get get your message

Which part.....................................?

 

[Cutting Edge]

Add one after one demands and wait and drag up to that stage where US might be not happy to fulfil some of demands.

If you are trying to make a point against buying F-16 and F-18 than yes, I too don't like those planes.

 

[Zebra]

If you are trying to make a point against buying F-16 and F-18 than yes, I too don't like those planes.

I love F/A-18.

And F-15.

And F-35.

And, at last Gripen.

 

[Cutting Edge]

I love F/A-18.

And F-15.

And F-35.

And, at last Gripen.

Out of your list I only like F-35 and Gripen. 18 & 15 are too old.

Gripen is the most underrated jet out there and F-35 is almost an Alien tech.

 

[Tactical Frog]

Please god block this birds coming into Indian airspace...

That God has blond hair
If the Donald is serious about giving chances to Boeing against F-35 in US, then Boeing might be thinking different about "Make in India" F/A 18 Hornet.

 

[tharun]

That God has blond hair
If the Donald is serious about giving chances to Boeing against F-35 in US, then Boeing might be thinking different about "Make in India" F/A 18 Hornet.

I hope so...we don't need that fat fighter.....

 

[tharun]

Which part.....................................?

Everything...especially stalin of India