New Delhi (NVI): US aviation major Boeing sees India as a potential customer for its Advanced F-15 Eagle, the newest fighter plane which can carry more weapons than any other aircraft of its class and be equipped with latest technologies.
Prat Kumar, Boeing’s Vice President and Programme Manager for the F-15, said during a webinar that the company is working to have a deal potentially with India to meet its requirement of 114 fighter planes.
The Indian Air Force had in April last year issued a request for information (RFI) to procure 114 fighters at a cost of around USD 18 billion.
He said Boeing was in the process of requesting a marketing license from the U.S Government to start discussions with India.
“India is there for a large 114-jet acquisition programme. We are waiting for the ASQRs (Air Staff Qualitative Requirements), the requirements” definitions, because right now, until we have that, we do not know if this jet is in the sweet spot or not,” Kumar said.
“Right now, we are supporting the US Air Force in whatever shape, way or form we can to answer any questions they have coming from the Indian Air Force (about F-15EX),” he added.
Boeing, in a statement earlier had said, “The F-15EX carries more weapons than any other fighter in its class and can launch hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weighing up to 7,000 pounds.”
Kumar said the multi-role fighter plane will be fitted with the same Raytheon AN/APG-82 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar that has been retrofitted to the USAF F-15E fleet.
Similarly, the new aircraft will feature the Advanced Display Core Processor II mission computer and Suite 9 Operational Flight Program, which also brings them into line with the latest Strike Eagle standard.
He talked about the possibility of adding artificial intelligence to assist F-15EX crews in the future.
