Upturn In US-India Relations Seen As Opportunity

After signs that the chill is finally thawing in relations between the US and India, one Boeing executive is on the subcontinent, hoping to strike a joint production deal with the New Delhi government.

India's air force, plagued with the crashes of antiquated Soviet-era fighters, is looking to upgrade its aircraft. In September, the government will open bidding on new attack aircraft contracts. Boeing VP Christopher Chadwick hopes to cash in on the need -- in light of warming relations between the US and India, by offering to build F/A-18 Super Hornets in conjunction with an Indian manufacturer.

“We are just entering into the talks process with the IAF and the industry. Some IAF personnel have flown the aircraft," Chadwick said, quoted by the Economic Times of India. "We think there is a lot of capability for production and India will be the launch customer (if it chooses the fighter now).” Boeing's plan calls for an initial purchase of 18 Super Hornets, followed by a shift to co-production.

But any such deal would be in trouble if Pakistan, a US ally in the war on terror and India's arch-rival, asks for the same aircraft. Both countries have arsenals of nuclear weapons.

FMI: www.boeing.com