Neel Mehta
Boeing announced today New Delhi has signed an agreement with Washington, D.C., to purchase 10 transport aircraft, the largest Indo-U.S. defense deal of its kind.
The purchase, estimated to be worth $4.1 billion, comes two months after India ejected the two American combat fighters from its final shortlist for the $11-billion medium multirole combat aircraft tender for the Indian Air Force.
The delivery of the aircraft in 2013 and 2014 will make India the largest global customer of the C-17 Globemaster-III aircraft in addition to supporting 23,000 jobs in the United States. More than 600 American firms are expected to benefit directly from the deal.
“Boeing is pleased that the Indian Air Force has selected the C-17 to support its airlift mission,“ said Mark Kronenberg, vice president of international business development for Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “We look forward to partnering with India as we move forward with the agreement’s 30 percent offset program, which will help strengthen India’s aerospace and defense capabilities.“
The defense vendor will provide support to the fleet through its C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership, a multinational Performance-Based Logistics program, and has orchestrated a $500 million engine-testing wind tunnel for jet engines with the country’s nodal defense lab, Defence Research and Development Organization.
