Here’s one contract which US President Barack Obama would push ingeniously during his visit to New Delhi in order to regain his popularity back home: the cash-guzzling sale of F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters which would fetch about $11 billion but also help throw up at least 25,000 new jobs in the United States.
The twin-engine, Boeing-manufactured Super Hornet, has been evaluated for its strike capabilities along with five other fighters by the Indian Air Force, as part of the long-drawn process of acquiring 126 Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). This mega-buck deal would help bolster the US economy as well as give rise to employment opportunities in “human intensive” sectors of manufacturing, fabrication of engines, radars, avionics, weapons and a host of advanced counter-measures which are unique to this fighter. So, the Super Hornet will definitely figure at the top of the “manufacturer’s catalogy” that Mr Obama push for during the visit, sources in ministry of defence told this newspaper.
The sources said the fighter would be offered as an opportunity as an early “win” which would strengthen India’s new alliance with the USA and prove its new status in the world. Besides, Boeing’s planned $1.5 billion investment in India’s aerospace market would help deal with defence industrial offset issues which would form part of the contract.
The sources said Mr Obama would leverage an opportunity created by the Central government to canvass for the Super Hornet: the original request for proposal (RFP) which lists strike capabilities and attributes such as weight and range were subsequently modified to suit the Super Hornet.