30 Years wait for a new fighter ended for Indian Navy

[selvan33]

30 Years wait for a new fighter ended for Indian Navy

It was exactly three decades ago in 1983 when Indian Navy received its first Sea Harriers from Britain, nobody expected that next big induction into naval air wing will come almost three decades later but with plans of two Indigenously build aircraft carriers and Refurbished Russian aircraft INS Vikramaditya all set to join navy this year Navy plans to double its fighter wing fleet.

Sources based at Ins Hansa have informed idrw.org that Navy plans to operate close to 200 fighter aircrafts of different variants and types by end of next decade and will add new modern aircrafts for use from future carriers and land based naval base.

When Russia offered Admiral Gorshkov to India, Aircraft offered to India interestingly was Sukhoi Su-33 which was already operated by Russian navy on Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, but aircraft suffered from outdated avionics and had larger footprint on a carrier after intensive evaluation and brainstorming Sukhoi Su-33 was rejected and Mig-29k was selected by Indian navy, Interestingly now Mig-29k is replacing Sukhoi Su-33 in Russian Navy.

Navy is closely working with DRDO in development of Naval variant of Lca and have agreed to buy 8 Naval LCA based on MK-1 configuration to be used for shore based pilot training but MK-2 will be carrier borne aircraft which will operate from IAC-1 and IAC-2, Navy is also looking to induct another aircraft and if Rafale deal of air force goes through there are plans to buy Naval Rafale to be operated from IAC-2.

Sources also informed idrw.org that Naval- Lca program is not facing any delays as reported in media , NP-1 will be ready again for test flights in mid june, aorcraft required major modifications to its landing gears and lowering of its weight . Shore-Based Test Facility (SBTF) which is nearing completion in INS Hansa Naval base in Goa will be ready in few months and NP-1 will be relocated to INS Hansa to carry simulated carrier take off and carrier landing on the platform , SBTF will also be used to train Mig-29k and N-LCA pilots for carrier borne training in near future. first MK-2 variant of Naval LCA is planned in 2016 when IAC-1 will be launched and handed over to Navy for sea trials , and we are hoping to sync IAC-1 completing sea trails and N LCA MK-2 ready for carrier trials at same time of 2017-18 .
30 Years wait for a new fighter ended for Indian Navy | idrw.org

 

[ExtraOdinary]

Woaah 200 fighters!!! If all goes according to plan maybe at the end of this decade we will have Rafale-M's leading a pack of MiG-29 K's and N-LCA's

 

[arp2041]

Woaah 200 fighters!!! If all goes according to plan maybe at the end of this decade we will have Rafale-M's leading a pack of MiG-29 K's and N-LCA's

I have been speculating this for months now........

45 mig-29k (with possibility of more orders)

50-60 N-LCA

Then comes the race for a Naval MMRCA & Rafale-M is surely leading the race (again around 50 will be ordered).

This will not just operate from ACs but IN will soon take the responsibility of shore based maritime defense from the IAF.

 

[janon]

Another stupid, ignorant headline. Just because the previous purchase was 30 years back, doesn't mean that the navy was "waiting" for 30 years to purchase new ones. The ones purchased then were serving the navy, and only a few years back was the navy interested in new fighters.

In fact the navy has not been waiting at all for fighters, since they still don't have a carrier to fly them off from. It's the carriers that are being waited for. I suppose when Vik arrives, they will say that the navy's 25 year wait is over, since that is when the previous carrier entered service.

 

[Koovie]

Mhhhh the IN did not really searched for a new fighter till 2004 -_-

 

[a.kumar]

Indian navy was not even looking for a carrier , Admiral Gorshkov was offered free of cost to India by Russia with condition that India agreed to pay for upgradation and fixing of the carrier and purchase some fighters along with it .

 

[a.kumar]

I disagree , Why do you require AC to operate a Naval fighter ? or vice versa ? Chinese operated 500 plus fighters without a single AC in this period , Navy should have inducted some land based fighters during this period

 

[selvan33]

I disagree , Why do you require AC to operate a Naval fighter ? or vice versa ? Chinese operated 500 plus fighters without a single AC in this period , Navy should have inducted some land based fighters during this period

to. Dude when PLAN operated 500+ aircrafts without carriers.

 

[Cherokee]

 

[janon]

I disagree , Why do you require AC to operate a Naval fighter ? or vice versa ? Chinese operated 500 plus fighters without a single AC in this period , Navy should have inducted some land based fighters during this period

We have an air force that can fly planes off the land. If there are no plans for a carrier, why should the navy maintain a fighter arm, with all the attendant cost penalties, instead of asking the air force to dedicate a squadron or two for that role? Maintenance of aircrafts, training of pilots, trained ground crews, base depots, spare supply...why should the navy duplicate all these, when there is an air force that already does all that?

Only if the navy has inherent naval aviation, with carrier based fighters, would there be a need to have naval aviators in addition to an air force. PAF has dedicated two squadrons of fighters for this role, and that is what countries without aircraft carriers do.

 

[a.kumar]

to. Dude when PLAN operated 500+ aircrafts without carriers.

Thanks for the welcome , Chinese navy still operates J-7E , J-8II , JH-7 , Su-30MKK which are not even carrier capable only J-15 is carrier capable aircraft . 500 number is from open source .

 

[selvan33]

Thanks for the welcome , Chinese navy still operates J-7E , J-8II , JH-7 , Su-30MKK which are not even carrier capable only J-15 is carrier capable aircraft . 500 number is from open source .

everyone knows about this dude. I just asked when they operated 500+ aircrafts?
They are operating hardly 160 fighter jets only excludes MPA. And do you know how much it will cost to buy,train,maintain a aircraft squadron. Are we really able to maintain a seperate CTOL aircraft in naval air arm with our current economical resource.Our IAF is having dedicated squadrons for maritime patrol alone mainly with our jaguars. So need for CTOL at present to navy. its just a waste of resource.

 

[a.kumar]

Pakistan has very small coastline to protect , so two squadrons of Mirage-III/V fighters are good enough for them , but India cannot have same liberty , India has vast coastline and till now were protected by hand full of ageing Sea Harriers, IAF even now has deputed only one squadron of Jaguar IM for Maritime duties , in a Two front war IAF will be nowhere to be seen near coastline, Naval aviation has to step in for its own protection.

Navy does operate few land based airfields so Navy had infrastructure to operate more fighters , may be due to IAF's attitude navy never went beyond carrier capable fighters, but Now Naval aviation is on the right path.

 

[Hephaestus]

30 Years wait for a new fighter ended for Indian Navy



It was exactly three decades ago in 1983 when Indian Navy received its first Sea Harriers from Britain, nobody expected that next big induction into naval air wing will come almost three decades later but with plans of two Indigenously build aircraft carriers and Refurbished Russian aircraft INS Vikramaditya all set to join navy this year Navy plans to double its fighter wing fleet.

Sources based at Ins Hansa have informed idrw.org that Navy plans to operate close to 200 fighter aircrafts of different variants and types by end of next decade and will add new modern aircrafts for use from future carriers and land based naval base.

When Russia offered Admiral Gorshkov to India, Aircraft offered to India interestingly was Sukhoi Su-33 which was already operated by Russian navy on Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, but aircraft suffered from outdated avionics and had larger footprint on a carrier after intensive evaluation and brainstorming Sukhoi Su-33 was rejected and Mig-29k was selected by Indian navy, Interestingly now Mig-29k is replacing Sukhoi Su-33 in Russian Navy.

Navy is closely working with DRDO in development of Naval variant of Lca and have agreed to buy 8 Naval LCA based on MK-1 configuration to be used for shore based pilot training but MK-2 will be carrier borne aircraft which will operate from IAC-1 and IAC-2, Navy is also looking to induct another aircraft and if Rafale deal of air force goes through there are plans to buy Naval Rafale to be operated from IAC-2.

Sources also informed idrw.org that Naval- Lca program is not facing any delays as reported in media , NP-1 will be ready again for test flights in mid june, aorcraft required major modifications to its landing gears and lowering of its weight . Shore-Based Test Facility (SBTF) which is nearing completion in INS Hansa Naval base in Goa will be ready in few months and NP-1 will be relocated to INS Hansa to carry simulated carrier take off and carrier landing on the platform , SBTF will also be used to train Mig-29k and N-LCA pilots for carrier borne training in near future. first MK-2 variant of Naval LCA is planned in 2016 when IAC-1 will be launched and handed over to Navy for sea trials , and we are hoping to sync IAC-1 completing sea trails and N LCA MK-2 ready for carrier trials at same time of 2017-18 .
30 Years wait for a new fighter ended for Indian Navy | idrw.org

So, in the distant future when IN would be operating 3AC's each would've 3 different birds.
Gorshky - MiG
IAC-1 - N-LCA/MiG
IAC-2 - NMMRCA
Wouldn't that be a logistical challenge. Sr members correct me if i am wrong. From what i read & understand from diff
forums if we get CATOBAR in IAC-2 would a MiG be able to land on it if absolutely necessary.

 

[selvan33]

So, in the distant future when IN would be operating 3AC's each would've 3 different birds.
Gorshky - MiG
IAC-1 - N-LCA/MiG
IAC-2 - NMMRCA
Wouldn't that be a logistical challenge. Sr members correct me if i am wrong. From what i read & understand from diff
forums if we get CATOBAR in IAC-2 would a MiG be able to land on it if absolutely necessary.

No. its a STOBAR designed variant. It needs changes. But we can go MiG 35 which is easy to convert CTOL to CATABOR.