New Delhi: Two Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets, leased from the US Navy, have arrived in India to demonstrate their ski-jumps from the Coast-Based Test Facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa and to operate from the Indian Navy. Project capabilities. The aircraft carrier, ThePrint has learned.
Sources in the defense and security establishment said on Monday that both the aircraft arrived on May 20 and will undergo a series of exercises starting this week.
The two aircraft were borrowed by Boeing from the US Navy and made mechanical and software changes for performance.
The journey of the Super Hornets comes close on similar heels Travel Dassault Aviation’s rival Rafale M to impress the Navy in January, which is looking at about 26 multi-role deck-based fighters for its aircraft carrier.
While the Navy currently operates MiG-29Ks from INS Vikramaditya, it is looking at getting a new set of fighter jets as India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier is scheduled to be commissioned in August this year.
Apart from the ski-jump capability, Boeing officials will brief Indian Navy officials on the aircraft’s capabilities, especially the Rafale.
The aircraft will perform a ski-jump take-off without payload. The payload will consist of two dummy Harpoon missiles.
Boeing For the first time demonstrated STOBAR (Short Take-off but Arrest Recovery) for the Indian Navy in 2020 at its test facility in the US.
Carrier based fighters mainly fall into three categories – STOVL (Short Take-off and Vertical Landing), STOBAR and CATOBAR (Catapult Take-off but Arrest Recovery).
STOBAR, STOVL and CATOBAR are systems used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Stobari Carriers have high decks, known as ‘ski-jumps’, to help the aircraft take off. CATOBAR is a catapult based launch system He allows for Carrier greater take-off rate and velocity. This more advanced Compared to STOBAR system.
While American carriers use CATOBAR, Indian carriers – INS Vikramaditya and indigenous ones under construction – use STOBAR. Hence, verification of STOBAR capability by the Navy was a basic requirement.
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What does Boeing have on Rafale?
Sources said Boeing’s argument is that both its single-seater and twin-seater are capable of operating from the aircraft carrier, unlike the Rafale M, whose twin-seater operates from the coast.
Another aspect that Boeing is emphasizing is interoperability. The US firm says the Super Hornets are compatible with systems and platforms that the Indian Navy already operates or has acquired – the MH-60 Romeo anti-submarine helicopter, the P-8I Poseidon long-range seaplane.
Boeing has said that the aircraft carrying more anti-ship missiles than the Rafale M will become more powerful with all assets talking to each other and giving a holistic view of the area of operations.
Sources said that, based on the performance of both the aircraft – Rafale M and Super Hornet – the Navy will go for the one which is most compatible with the overall development plans.
Admiral Karambir Singh, the then Navy Chief in 2020 said That the force may pursue joint acquisition of fighter aircraft with the IAF.
This is what works in favor of the Rafale, which is already operated by the Indian Air Force. Sources said that since the IAF is looking for more fighter jets, the joint acquisition by the force and the Navy will result in a cheaper deal.
The Super Hornet was one of the contenders for the Indian Air Force’s original Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, which was eventually won by Rafale.
Boeing is now planning to offer its new and improved F-15 Eagle II to the Indian Air Force’s plan to acquire 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), something that Dassault Aviation is also eyeing to acquire. Is.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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