The days of F-16s rolling off the assembly line in west Fort Worth could be numbered.
Reports out of India on Wednesday said that both the Lockheed Martin F-16 and the Boeing F/A-18 fighter jets had been eliminated from competition for a $10 billion, 126-plane purchase for the Indian air force.India's Defense Ministry notified the U.S. government about the fighter jet competition, Lockheed confirmed without divulging details."We understand that the U.S. government is working on a response to the letter from the Indian government," Lockheed said in a statement. Lockheed said it "remains committed to our relationship with the Indian air force," and that it has "several world-class products offering the most advanced and reliable technology we believe is suitable for India's security needs."A spokesman for Boeing's military aircraft division in St. Louis said he had no official response to the reports.But a defense analyst who is a consultant to Lockheed said senior executives have confirmed the reports to him."My understanding is the F-16 and F/A-18 have been eliminated by India," said Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute.Lockheed expects to produce about 40 F-16s this year and next but at this point does not have enough orders to sustain production beyond about 2013. Lockheed officials have indicated that they hope to pick up a few more F-16 orders from other international customers.Lockheed and Boeing, along with fighter jet manufacturers from Europe and Russia, have been wooing the Indian government for much of the past decade to land the contract for all-purpose, fighter-attack jets.President Barack Obama even made a sales pitch of the U.S. planes on a visit to India.No other nation is believed to be considering a fighter jet contract approaching the 126 planes India has said it plans to purchase.Reports out of India and Europe said the Indian government had narrowed its choices to France's Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon.Sweden's Saab confirmed that its Gripen fighter jet was also eliminated. India was also considering Russia's MiG-35.Bob Cox, 817-390-7723Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
