With Boeing’s F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet commencing its trials from Indian Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF), the prospects for to secure the up to US$6 billion deal have improved substantially. The ‘foldable wings’ factor is likely to tilt the deal in favour of Boeing as it involves the supply of 26 Multirole Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF) aircraft, including a squadron of 18 single-seat aircraft alongside twin-seat trainer variants. Lack of such features in Dassault’s Rafale-M prevents it from being compliant with Vikrant’s aircraft elevators and therefore less likely to enthuse the Indian Navy for the deal, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.
Boeing had already completed feasibility studies for F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet to operate from Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) Ski Jump at the US Navy’s Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River (in December 2020), and thus it is also likely to clear trials just as Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M.
Although Dassault has offered to somewhat redesign its wing section to incorporate some detachable segments to make it compliant with the dimensions of hanger elevators, it is unlikely to encourage the Indian Navy as it is expected to adversely impact combat sortie rate and tempo of air operations.
According to GlobalData, another factor going against Rafale is the unavailability of dual seat trainers for Rafale-M, meaning that the Indian Navy may have to depend on the Air Force’s Rafale-B dual seat variants for training requirements. However, the differences in physical characteristics between the Air Force Rafale-B/ Rafale-C and Marine Rafale-M may also be a reason to not look favourably at the Dassault offering.
Abhijit Apsingikar, Defence Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “While the technical parameters of the deal are increasingly in favour of Boeing, Indian concerns with respect to dependability of the US suppliers in case of a crisis still exists, though this is changing slowly with the induction of platforms like the P-8I Poseidon and MH-60R Romeo helicopters. Nonetheless, India has so far resisted the urge to field a US made frontline combat aircraft. The threat of impending sanctions under CAATSA with respect to the acquisition of S-400 Triumf air defence systems alongside India’s stand on the present Russia-Ukraine conflict also complicates the deal. With India going ahead with additional purchases of cheap Russian crude oil, the US has cautioned India against any additional purchases. Hence the closure of this deal is anticipated to be contingent on Boeing satisfying the requirements of the Indian Armed Forces, but also the US administration’s ability to assuage India’s concerns with respect to CAATSA.”
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INDIA HAS JUST COMMISSIONED CARRIER VIKRANT
OBSOLETIUM
It is an OBSOLETE piece of scrap and the PLN will sink the entire Indan Navy. MIG 29K is a disaster. It has failed on RUSSIAN carriers also.
The CARRIER Catapault is obsolete and so,the frequency of aircraft launches is low and thus,the weight of the aircraft w.r.t. weapons and fuel is limited.THIS SEVERELY CONSTRAINTS,THE REACH OF THE CARRIER.
THE OBSOLETE CATAPAULT ENSURES THAT HEAVY AIRCRAFT AND AWACS ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION. A CARRIER W/O AN AWAC AND CARGO PLANES ,IS USELESS
THE LAST DIS-ASS-TER IS THE GAS TURBINE.- WHICH MEANS THAT THE DINDOO NAVY WILL NEED TO REFUEL FROM FRIENDLY PORTS AND NATIONS.IN WAR – THERE ARE NO FRIENDS PLN HAS BUILT ISLANDS PRECISELY FOR THESE REASONS.PLN NEEDS NO FRIENDLY PORT, TO REFUEL
A CARRIER AND A SUB,ARE SITING DUCKS WHEN THEY REFUEL.! THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THE CARRIER WILL LOSE PRECIOUS SPACE AND WEIGHT, TO STOCK FUEL INDIANS ARE CENTURIES AWAY,FROM A NUCLEAR POWER REACTOR,FOR A CARRIER ! PUTIN IS NOW IN THE CHINA ORBIT, AND WILL NOT SELL THE NUKE TECHNOLOGY
THE BIGGEST DI-ASS-T I S THAT THE INDIANS TOOK 17 YEARS TO MAKE THIS CARRIER
THE CHNESE CHURN IS MANY MANY TIMES FASTER.SO THE INDIANS ARE DOOMED
EVEN AFTER RAFALE COMES (WHICH THE FRENCH CARRIERS TOOK LONG TO INTEGRATE) AND EVEN IF THE CATAPAULT IS CHANGED WITH US AID – THE INDIANS STAND NO CHANCE, DUE TO THE SHEER PACE AT THE PLN WILL REPRODUCE
ALSO,,,THE CHINESE WILL HAVE A NUKE CARRIER AT LEAST 20 YEARS BEFORE THE INDIANS – AND THAT WILL BURY INDIA.NUKE POWER MEANS NO FUEL NO SPACE AND WEIGHT LOSS AND LIMITLESS POWER FOR CATAPAULTING AND USE OF ELECTROMAGNETIC CATAPAULTS..NO SPACE AND WEIGHT LOSS,MEANS MORE JF-17+ AWACS + DEFENSE GRADE ATF + WEAPONS + MISSILES + CARGO PLANES= IMPREGNABLE SEA FORTRESS,WITH CARGO PLANES WHICH CAN FERRY RATIONS AND ATF – SO NO NEED TO TOUCH LAND
AND THEN TO COMPLETELY NAIL DOWN THE DINDOO NAVY,THE PLN CAN MOVE TOWARDS ANDAMAN ! THAT WILL TIE DOWN THE NAVY ,LIKE A TADPOLE!
VIKRANT IS A SITTING DUCK ! WHAT PNS GHAZI COULD NOT DOI N VIZAG MINING IN 1971- WILL THE PAKISTANI NAVY STEP UP NOW ?
VIKRANT = LUMBERING OLD PIECE OF SCRAP !
WILL AN INDIAN CARRIER WORK,AND CAN INDIANS INTEGRATE THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS, IN THE CARRIER, ASSUMING THE PLN DOES NOT HACK THEM ? ALL OLD INDIAN CARRIERS,WERE DECOMMISSIONED RUSSIAN JUNK – AND SO,THE RUSSIANS TRAINED THE INDIANS, TO USE THE JUNK
THIS IS A JUNK MADE BY INDIANS IN INDIA – WITH COPY AND PASTE TECH,WHICH HAS BEEN INTEGRATED INTO THE CARRIER – WHICH NOW THE INDIAN NAVY HAS TO SYNTHESISE, ON SEA AND IN WAR !
INDIANS CANNOT LAUNCH A BRAHMOS – AND “DEFENDING” A FLOATING TARGET ON SEA,FROM EW/EMP/MISSILES AND TORPEDOES- WITH THE CARRIER USING MULTIPLE PLATFORMS – AND WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF CHINESE SYSTEMS (AS THEY ARE 100%, MADE IN CHINA) = DOOM !
VIKRANT IS A SITTING DUCK ! WHAT PNS GHAZI COULD NOT DOI IN VIZAG MINING IN 1971- WILL THE PAKISTANI NAVY STEP UP NOW ?
VIKRANT = LUMBERING OLD PIECE OF SCRAP !
WILL AN INDIAN CARRIER WORK,& CAN INDIANS INTEGRATE THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS, IN THE CARRIER, ASSUMING THE PLN DOES NOT HACK THEM ? ALL OLD INDIAN CARRIERS WERE DECOMMISSIONED RUSSIAN JUNK – & SO,THE RUSSIANS TRAINED THE INDIANS, TO USE THE JUNK
THIS IS AJUNK MADE BY INDIANS IN INDIA – WITH COPY & PASTE TECH,WHICH HAS BEEN INTEGRATED INTO THE CARRIER – WHICH NOW THE INDIAN NAVY, HAS TO SYNTHESISE, ON SEA & IN WAR !
INDIANS CANNOT LAUNCH A BRAHMOS – & “DEFENDING” A FLOATING TARGET ON SEA,FROM EW/EMP/MISSILES &TORPEDOES- WITH THE CARRIER USING MULTIPLE PLATFORMS – & WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF CHINESE SYSTEMS (AS THEY ARE 100%, MADE IN CHINA) = DOOM !
Y IS INDIA GETTING INTO A CARRIER/SUB RACE WITH PLN,WHEN IT HAS NO MONEY,& NO TECH ? THEY SHOULD LEARN FROM RAMA WHO USED AN ARMY OF APES TO MAKE A BRIDGE& NOT A SHIP – WHICH TOOK 12 YEARS ! ( 5 YEARS LESS THAN VIKRANT) !