With US company Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet trailing in second place, French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M has emerged as the front-runner to win a massive contract with the Indian Navy for 27 fighters.
According to sources in the defence and security establishment, the Navy has given the defence ministry a thorough assessment on how the Super Hornets and the Rafale-M, the fighter aircraft already in service with the Indian Air Force’s marine branch, performed during two rounds of demonstrations.
In order to demonstrate their ability to operate from Indian aircraft carriers, American company Boeing and French manufacturer Dassault Aviation performed operational demonstrations of the Super Hornets and Rafale-M, respectively, showcasing ski-jumps—a crucial take-off capability—from the shore-based test facility at INS Hansa in Goa.
Sources, who declined to provide more information, claimed that the report from the navy headquarters to the defence ministry only highlights the “positives” and that Rafale-M satisfies all requirements.
Following a thorough examination of both aircraft’s performances by the naval headquarters, the report to the defence ministry was sent. For a thorough evaluation of performance and the shortlisting of aircraft, those conducting the testing had created a “trial report” that was delivered to the naval headquarters.
When asked if the INS Vikrant, an indigenous aircraft carrier built in India, would have a problem with the lift size, sources stated both aircraft had to be hauled up and down at a specific angle. Unlike the Rafale, the Super Hornet’s wings can fold, but even so, they still needed to be raised and lowered at a specific angle. The wings fold in a different manner in both aircraft.
Because it is believed that the MiG-29K and the naval version of the Tejas aircraft were taken into mind when designing the lift size, space issues have arisen.
The Russian MiG-29K aircraft are now flown by the Navy out of INS Vikramaditya. But since INS Vikrant was put into service, the force has been looking for new fighter aircraft.
The Navy is placing its faith in its domestic fighter, therefore the new deal is only supposed to be a temporary solution. Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar stated on Saturday that the indigenous Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), whose prototype is anticipated in 2026–2027 and whose production is anticipated to begin in around 2032, is the future of Indian naval aviation.
Additionally, he noted that there were only a few MiG-29K naval fighters now in service, and that Russian spare parts were “also not very forthcoming.”
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