COM BREAK: F-18 with two AGM-84s made short takeoff from Indian carrier

[Two banks of the River]

There's a world of difference between land based aircraft and carrier based operations, which are often described as controlled crash landings. Both the sea air and deck landings and take offs.
Recall that before the MiG-29K debacle, the IN had to retire its Sea Harriers after over 50% of the fleet was written off in accidents.

Sea Harrier operations were something of different league and its problems were spread evenly over all its users.

List of Harrier Jump Jet family losses - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Nothing specific to IN only.

 

[SQ8]

Personally feel this will be a political deal for super hornet. Which will eventually grow to add atleast 10 more airframes for a total of 36.

Let's see , in a couple of months official offers should be made by both.

It feels rather silly that what left the Rafale out was a smaller lift on the carrier than anything else(not that the Rhino isn’t a mean piece of kit) but it seems for the future the Indian armed forces will continue to be plagued with a disparate logistical base.

There is “keep your options open” and there is realizing that you will have to have no less than 20-25 different syllabus types for your maintenance guys. Which means they will take their time not just in training but expertise and any change of equipment will require another time and money investment to get them going.

Either way, its your(Indian taxpayer) money