Le Bourget, France—Whatever India’s reasons for dropping advanced F-16s and F/A-18s from its fighter competition, it would be wrong to point the finger at US government export controls, said Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft here. “At no point did the US not allow us to provide what the Indian air force asked for” regarding Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Chadwick told reporters Tuesday at the Paris Air Show. India has short-listed the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon in its contest, although there are rumblings that India might reopen the contest to the United States if this would permit the F-35 strike fighter to enter the fray. US officials here declined to comment on that prospect.
As L3Harris proves its OA-1K Skyraider II special operations aircraft can carry a signals intelligence sensor and electronic attack weapon, a key congressional committee is poised to boost production of the converted Air Tractor prop plane.