Photo Essay: Partnering to Support Asia-Pacific Defense Customers

Boeing’s history of business, industry and technical partnerships in Asia-Pacific goes back a long way, and continues most recently through our expanded presence in the region with the opening of our offices in Hanoi and Jakarta. It is through these close partnerships and investments that we’ve been able to deliver on our global commitments to those who rely on our products and services every day. Boeing remains committed to supporting our defense customers across the Asia-Pacific region in advancing aerospace capabilities and growth.

sia-Pacific is a collection of diverse nations with unique terrain that present challenges for operations. Vast distances over land and water in an area with a growing population mean defense assets must be agile, responsive and versatile. With more than 60 years of combat and humanitarian experience, the H-47 Chinook is the most battle-tested, reliable and advanced heavy-lift helicopter in the world. It is a proven multimission platform, performing all missions that include troop transport, search-and-rescue humanitarian and disaster relief, and special operations.

Operating in the Asia-Pacific region is unique compared to other parts of the world due to its vast distances and volume of the maritime domain. These two geographical characteristics demand four key requirements for maritime security: range, speed, persistence, and multi-mission capability.

It is crucial that Asia-Pacific customers are able to identify, evaluate, select, and invest in platforms that optimize both capability and affordability – and Boeing is committed to helping them achieve the desired levels of capability and local industry involvement. The optimal platform provides the right mix of multi-mission capability within an affordable range of total ownership costs. A beneficiary of ongoing AH-64 Apache modernization efforts, the AH-6 features an advanced mission computer that processes large amounts of data quickly to enhance safety and situational awareness, enable faster decision making, reduce pilot workload, and decrease support costs throughout the aircraft’s life cycle.

P-8 offers broad multi-mission capability while leveraging the economies of scale of Boeing’s global infrastructure footprint of more than 4,000 737 Next Generation aircraft coupled with the 183 P-8’s on contract with multiple customers. This offers significant total ownership costs savings and local industrial participation opportunities. (Indian Navy Photo)

Deployed around the world, with over 149 P-8 aircraft in service and over 450,000 collective mishap free flight-hours, the P-8A is vital for global anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and search and rescue missions.

Boeing’s portfolio of autonomous products includes the proven, low-risk and affordable Insitu Family of Systems, including the Integrator UAS that complement crewed aircraft in providing persistent multi-domain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Several countries in Asia-Pacific already rely on Insitu platforms to meet their maritime reconnaissance requirements.

Within the Asia-Pacific region, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the Philippines currently operate the Wave Glider Autonomous Surface Vehicle by Boeing subsidiary Liquid Robotics. The Wave Glider supports a variety of payloads, including acoustic and oceanographic sensors, to collect and communicate data in real-time between crewed and uncrewed systems from the seabed to space. The system can stay on mission 24/7 for several months at a time.

Boeing continues to support the Korean Air Force’s present fleet of four E-7 Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft. The Royal Australian Air Force also operates the E-7 and its proven next generation airborne surveillance, communication and battle management capabilities that are second-to-none.

In India, Boeing is offering the F/A-18 Super Hornet for the Indian Navy’s carrier borne fighter requirements. One of the most advanced, multi-role, frontline fighter of the U.S. Navy, with a rapid technology insertion plan that will outpace threats for decades to come, the F/A-18 Super Hornet is fully carrier compatible and ideally suited for the Indian Navy’s fighter requirements.

With multi-mission capability for aerial refueling, cargo and passenger transportation, aeromedical evacuation support, and data connectivity, the KC-46 enables all facets of fleet air mobility for the Asia-Pacific region’s vast expanses of water coupled with its many smaller, austere airfields. Boeing has delivered the first two KC-46A multi-role tanker aircraft to Japan, which is capable of refueling JASDF, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps aircraft. (Photo Credit Kevin Flynn)

Boeing is ready to support the fighter, trainer and upgrade requirements of customers across Asia-Pacific. The F-15EX is gaining interest from existing and prospective global customers as militaries look to modernize and upgrade their fleets and enhance force structures. The F-15 has speed, range and air power capabilities unlike any fighter in its class, making it a force multiplier that would enable Asia-Pacific air forces to reach isolated areas rapidly and respond to crises. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ethan Wagner)

With the T-7A Red Hawk, Boeing is continuing to engage customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region to reimagine integrated training and fighter force structures with the fighter-like capabilities inherent in the T-7 Advanced Pilot Training System.

Boeing and its local industrial partners continue to deliver benefits to the end customer from aerostructures and electronic components to avionics and sensors. Platform sustainment offers a ready-made opportunity for local industrial participation, particularly on Boeing’s commercial derivative platforms and for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul, generating reduced costs and local prosperity opportunities.

Boeing is expanding its presence and supplier partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region, including in India, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. As defense customers pursue their vision for fleet modernization, training and sustainment, Boeing remains committed to collaborating with government and industry partners to deliver versatile, multi-mission products that can meet multiple mission requirements