Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) In a move to position itself for further growth in the rapidly evolving Indian defence industry, Boeing Friday named Bob Gower as vice president, Boeing Military Aircraft (BMA) India.
In his new position, Gower will expand and manage the BMA product line in India, including the P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft, the F/A-18IN combat jet, the C-17 heavy airlifter, the Apache attack helicopter and the Chinook transport helicopter, a Boeing statement said.

Gower will be based out of St. Louis, Missouri.

Vivek Lall, vice president and India country head, will continue to be responsible for all Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS) activities in country and will work closely with Gower in support of BMA activities.

“Bob is an outstanding leader who will be critical in helping Boeing grow and reposition to meet the complex defense and security challenges of the 21st century,” said BMA President Chris Chadwick.

“Bob understands customer needs and always works to find a way to exceed customer expectations,” he added.

Dinesh Keskar, president, Boeing India, said: “Our strategy for India is more than just platform sales. We are here for the long term and are committed to sharing knowledge, resources and technology with our partners for the growth and benefit of the aerospace and defense industry in India.”

According to Lall, “India is a $31 billion defence market with tremendous growth potential. The strengthening of the India team comes at a time when we are looking for new opportunities in the market and for ways to build our industry partnerships.”

Prior to taking on his new assignment, Gower managed several businesses within BMA. Most recently, he served as vice president of the F/A-18 and EA-18 programmes, managing a multi-billion-dollar business as it maintained a perfect record of on-time deliveries.

He also successfully completed development of the EA-18G Growler electronic attack variant and captured domestic and international orders.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet is one of the six jets in contention for an Indian Air Force order for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft in a deal worth $10 billion. It is also evaluating the C-17 and considering the Apache and the Chinook for possible purchase.