C-17 Training Center in Gurgaon
Mahindra Defense Systems and The Boeing Company have formally established a training center in Gurgaon, India, in order to provide training services for the Boeing C-17 Globemaster aircraft intended for the Indian Air Force. The Boeing C-17 Globemaster is commonly used to perform strategic and tactical airlift missions and is also used for transporting cargo and troops throughout the entire world. The aircraft is a very large military transport aircraft, with a length of 174 feet and weighing in at around 282 thousand pounds. Once this new training facility is fully operational, the training center will have the capabilities of performing multi-site as well as local simulations for more robust training with additional realism.
“The center, in partnership with Mahindra Defense, is another example of the steps we are taking to contribute to the building of a holistic aerospace ecosystem in support of Make in India,”said the president of Boeing India, Pratyush Kumar.
“This demonstrates our commitment to provide reliable support and services for our customers throughout the lifecycle of a product.”
“The Make in India initiative was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2014 to encourage international companies to manufacture products in India,”said P.R. Sanjai from Live Mint.
“India is the world’s largest importer of defense equipment, with 60% of its requirements met from outside the country. This, in itself, translates into a great business opportunity for those building domestic capabilities in defense.”
The C-17 training center is located in Gurgaon at the Flight Simulation Technique Center and will be a full-service location, providing extensive support and training to the Indian air crews which will be operating the ten C-17 aircrafts that were delivered by Boeing in 2014 to India.
“We are delighted to partner with Boeing in this venture,”said the chairman and group president of the aerospace and defense sector for Mahinda Defense Systems, S.P. Shukla.
“We have credible expertise in this specialized area of operations and training and we believe this joint endeavour will help deliver the objectives of the government of India and the Indian Air Force of building capabilities indigenously.”