As it gears to offer the possibility of manufacturing a fighter jet aircraft in the country, American aviation giant Boeing on Friday said it plans to assemble either its Chinook heavy-lift helicopters or Apache attack choppers in India.
India had last month signed a contract for 15 Chinook and 22 Apache helicopters.
Boeing Chairman Jim McNerney at a seminar organised by Boeing in New Delhi said, “We are much closer to have assembly (of) one of those airplanes (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.”
McNerney hoped that India will over the next couple of years call for bids for a fighter aircraft.After the government scrapped the global tender for 126 medium multi-role
combat aircraft (MMRCA), several foreign aircraft manufacturers have offered to build their fighter planes in India.
“Our approach is going to be to take a current, state-of-the-art fighter and bid. The quantities are uncertain…Our bid will include a proposal to make the plane here,” McNerney said.
