Aero India 2021: Boeing pitches F-15EX Eagle to the IAF

Asianet Newsable's Anish Singh catches up with Ankur Kanaglekar, Vice President for India fighter sales at Boeing, at the Aero India 2021 to shed more light on the company's offer to fulfil India's 114 fighter aircraft requirement with its F-15EX Eagle.

The US Air Force's first new F-15EX Eagle in nearly 20 years made its maiden flight at the St Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri on Tuesday.

Over 8,800 miles away, the aircraft was being pitched by Boeing officials to the India Air Force for its much-awaited contract for 114 fighter aircraft.

Asianet Newsable caught up with Ankur Kanaglekar, Vice President for India fighter sales at Boeing, at the Aero India 2021.

The Boeing official said, "We look forward to meeting the requirements of the IAF. It (F-15EX Eagle) has an unmatched performance. It flies faster, higher and longer than any other aircraft. It carries 13 tonnes of payloads. Performance-wise, it is a totally different aircraft."

"It has a mission-computer which is fastest in the domain. It processes 87 billion instructions per second. There is an advanced radar and infrastructure in the aircraft."

Boeing, however, is offering India a slightly different configuration. 

Ankur Kanaglekar said, "The electronic warfare system we are putting is India-specific. There are some sorts of minute things."

"We just received the marketing license a few months back. Now, we continue our conversation with the IAF for this aircraft."