American aerospace giant Boeing is on track to overtake Russian defense companies as the Indian biggest weapons supplier as the Indian Navy has expressed interest in potentially purchasing Super Hornets.
Boeing’s India division, based in New Delhi, has released new footage that showed an F/A-18E fighter jet launching off a ski-jump ramp in a demo for the Indian Navy.
“Our F/A-18 Super Hornet demonstrates the ability to operate from Indian Navy aircraft carriers during its successful and safe launch from a ski-jump ramp,” the company said in a Twitter post Monday.
The demonstrations, held at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD in August, show that the Super Hornet would do well with the Indian Navy’s Short Takeoff but Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) system and validate earlier simulation studies by Boeing.
“The first successful and safe launch of the F/A-18 Super Hornet from a ski-jump begins the validation process to operate effectively from Indian Navy aircraft carriers,” said Ankur Kanaglekar, Head India Fighters Sales, Boeing Defense, Space and Security.
Currently, the Indian Navy step closer to purchase Super Hornets to complement its Russian-made MiG-29K Fulcrums. If a contract is signed, it will hit hard on Russia’s positions in the region.
According to the company, Boeing has been a strong partner of India’s aerospace sector for almost eight decades, both as the mainstay of India’s commercial aviation sector as well as an important partner in the mission readiness and modernization of India’s defense forces.
Today, Boeing continues to play a key role in India’s evolving commercial and armed forces aviation.
A key partner of India’s defense forces, today, India has 11 C-17 Globemaster IIIs, eight P-8Is (with four more on order), 22 AH-64E Apaches and 15 CH-47F(I) Chinooks.
Our F/A-18 #SuperHornet demonstrates the ability to operate from @indiannavy aircraft carriers during its successful and safe launch from a ski-jump ramp. pic.twitter.com/92V14EXV9M
— Boeing India (@Boeing_In) December 21, 2020
