F-18L

[Zarvan]

The F/A-18L version followed to coincide with the US Navy's F/A-18A as a land-based export alternative. This was essentially an F/A-18A lightened by approximately 2,500 to 3,000 pounds (1,130 to 1,360 kg); weight was reduced by removing the folding wing and associated actuators, by implementing a simpler landing gear (single wheel nose gear and cantilever oleo main gear), and change to a land-based tail-hook. The revised F/A-18L included wing fuel tanks and fuselage stations of the F/A-18A. Its weapons capacity would increase from 13,700 to 20,000 pounds (6,210 to 9,070 kg); largely due to the addition of a third underwing pylon and strengthened wingtips (11 stations in total vs 9 stations of the F/A-18A). Compared to the F-18L, the outboard weapons pylons are moved closer to the wingtip missile rails. Because of the strengthened non-folding wing, the wingtip missile rails were designed to carry either the AIM-7 Sparrow or Skyflash medium-range air-to-air missiles, in addition to the AIM-9 Sidewinder as found on the F/A-18A. The F/A-18L was strengthened for a 9 g design load factor compared to the F/A-18A's 7.5 g factor


now couldn't you do the same weight reduction to the F/A-18 E/F?? knocking off 2,500 to 3,000 pounds and making it faster, longer ranged and more maneuverable seems very attractive option to me. especially for India and Canada who would use it from the ground and not on a carrier.

That is one hell of a beast

It was offered to PAF

If the offer is still on we should consider it

 

[surya kiran]

The scenario is real, and its what the Defense Secretary Gates openly played out once and the entire Indian lobby kicked dust and screamed.
So instead of taking this thread in a direction that might get you in trouble, please stick to the topic, avoid getting personal (and Mil Spec can advise you on that too). This scenario has also been iterated by many Indians on here.

Its the same scenario that Donald Trump mentions. He is anti-H1b Visas as he knows there is abuse. He is also smart enough to know that the US is being taken advantage of by others, including India. He's the first person with balls who's come out for the US and has clearly said, if businesses need "hi tech workers", they'll have to pay more to get them. Essentially making the American labor a cheaper option. Which should've happened decades ago, but the same people who started outsourcing American jobs, were in the power so how do you expect them to leave hundreds of millions in profits, and help the Americans who don't result in any millions in profit.

So don't think no one's paying attention, there are people who are going, what the hell did we accomplish by outsourcing all of our job industry to India and whatever was remaining, we gave it to them here. And now Americans are without jobs and Indians are working. That's *** backwards.

India on the other hand just wants to milk the cow called the US. When the cow stops giving milk or questions it, India will be perfectly ok with "reducing bilateral relationship" to a point that it would become marginal. As the US help would have kicked off the Indian economy and they wouldn't need us the US anymore.

Because of their own long term strategy about all this, they won't buy a fly from us if it formed the most critical defensive or offensive option, let alone a plane that may not work or have to be grounded without parts due to sanctions!!

Stick to the topic. You are again pulling in India and economics in here. So, if you get people responding and thread de-reailing, you are the cause for it. Its F-18 for PAF, stick to that and stop responding to people who don't.

@waz @Oscar @Irfan Baloch

 

[Stephen Cohen]

@Horus @Viper0011.

F 18 was never offered to Pakistan
INSTEAD in 2005 when Pakistan was given F16 Block 52
at that time F 18 was offered to INDIA at the same time ; the announcement of SIMULTANEOUS sale of aircraft to India and Pakistan was made

Read this US Uses Arms Sales to Strengthen Ties with South Asian Regional Rivals
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@Horus @Viper0011. @MastanKhan

The war on terror began in 2001 ; But in 2003 when General Musharraf visited USA
he was DENIED F 16 s

Bush pledges $3bn aid to Pakistan | World news | The Guardian
AN excerpt

However, the package will not include 28 F-16 fighter jets bought by Pakistan from the US 13 years ago but never delivered.

Mr Bush was asked by a Pakistani reporter whether, despite closer ties between the two countries, the United States was continuing to block delivery of the F-16s.

The US congress has refused to allow the sale to go through because of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, and the 1999 coup that brought Mr Musharraf to power.

"In the package that we discussed...half of that money goes for defence matters, of which the F-16 won't be a part," Mr Bush conceded.

Pakistan's Islamist opposition denounced the aid package as a disgrace to the country, and evidence of subservience to Washington.

The vice president of Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan's main Islamist party, told Reuters that Mr Musharraf had obtained "nothing" for the Pakistani people in his meeting with Mr Bush.

Khursheed Ahmed added that America's refusal to deliver the F-16 fighter aircraft was "a slap on our faces".

Bush Offers Pakistan Aid, but No F-16's - NYTimes.com

The F 16 were allowed later in 2005

US Uses Arms Sales to Strengthen Ties with South Asian Regional Rivals

 

[niaz]

Dude, Indians are smarter than us. They won't give us fighter jet contracts as in their books, in the future we would have many disagreements and may be even conflicts. So this is a ghost chase in trying to ask India to buy US weapons they'll rely the most on, in a conflict.

@MastanKhan @araz @Oscar @niaz @blue marlin @Umair Nawaz @JonAsad : gentlemen - check out the above article and F-18L's specs. Check out the load-out at approx: 20 tons and yet, an agile fighter with extended range, top line electronics and weapons options.

I know this is expensive but we've been talking about the JH-7. I believe something like the F-18L's category is what could strike, defend itself as a fighter and use its much superior electronics to deal with many situations. This type of a plane can do both, strike and combat fight with SU-30, 35, Rafale and EFT, etc.

Any comments or suggestions?

Undoubtedly Super Hornet ( or its land based version F-18L) is a peerless multirole aircraft and true successor to the F-14 Tomcat albeit carries about a ton less bomb load and has about 100 mile less range. Fly away cost of F-18L including support is around $80-million per unit; even if we could somehow manage to arrange about $1.5-billion for one squadron (18 aircraft); It is highly unlikely that US Congress would approve the sale.

On the other hand we already have F-16’s and can possibly buy more second hand F-16 and have the same upgraded thru MLU kits. I remember reading somewhere that after the installation of interface adapter & system software that supports Harpoons; it can be integrated with the later models of F-16.

Understand F-16 based at Misawa in Japan can carry AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. If we must take the US route, don’t you think than the above is lot more cost effective? I would surely prefer this option over.of inducting F-18L.

 

[GURU DUTT]

Looks like if rafale deals fails india just might order F-18L

 

[Tipu7]

That is one hell of a beast


If the offer is still on we should consider it

Read Mastan comments......

 

[Blue Marlin]

It was offered to PAF

honestly they offer jets to anyone. you were offered the dassault rafale and the EFT. heck you had the option for f15's but all these jets are very expensive. i like the f18l because its a simple jet honestly. it would suit pakistan quiet well. not so much for india. i dont know why but countries such as Australia, Canada,Malaysia and Spain opted for the f18-a instead of this jet. why?

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Never liked the F18 , F14 and F15 ... were something else however

 

[jhungary]

honestly they offer jets to anyone. you were offered the dassault rafale and the EFT. heck you had the option for f15's but all these jets are very expensive. i like the f18l because its a simple jet honestly. it would suit pakistan quiet well. not so much for india. i dont know why but countries such as Australia, Canada,Malaysia and Spain opted for the f18-a instead of this jet. why?

Don't know about the rest, but Australia Chooses F-18A when F-18L were not available due to patent infringement lawsuit in the early 1980s, Northrop was being sue by McDonnell Douglas from 1979 to 1985 for their export light version of Hornet which is basically the F-18A but lighter. The Lawsuit was dropped in 1985, but by then the Australian had already taken delivery for F-18A (First aircraft handed in May 1985) and the contract was signed 3 years prior.

Today RAAF had order a combo of F-18F and EA-18G as a stop gap before F-35

 

[Spectre]

honestly they offer jets to anyone. you were offered the dassault rafale and the EFT. heck you had the option for f15's but all these jets are very expensive. i like the f18l because its a simple jet honestly. it would suit pakistan quiet well. not so much for india. i dont know why but countries such as Australia, Canada,Malaysia and Spain opted for the f18-a instead of this jet. why?

Purely based on technical reasons not taking into account eco- political reasons can you elaborate why F-18 is not suitable for India?

Thanks and Regards

 

[Green Angel]

What's Next after F 18L ............. M,N,O,P............

 

[jammersat]

If L" is a designation for an intended country it must be australia

 

[Hurter]

 

[Blue Marlin]

Purely based on technical reasons not taking into account eco- political reasons can you elaborate why F-18 is not suitable for India?

Thanks and Regards

there are many factors why india will not choose the f18l
due to india being a geographically large country. jets typically need to stay in the air for long periods of time to cover long distances, about 3/4 hours. there are no specs to the f18l in terms of range but if you say the FA-18 is the same to the f18l then that would be a a good assessment as the f18 is lighter and has less fuel load as its wings carry no fuel. so the f18l range is approximately 1100miles where as the combat radius is 400 miles which is way too short of a range. india is suited to have the su30 mki as it has a range which is far greater than the f18l

secondly price. the f18 l is approximately $63 million each if you take into account modern upgrades which you will find on the super hornet. it would be very expansive to have a jet that has less payload, range speed. as compared to the mki where as the price difference is only a few million .

thirdly and foreign policy. it is true that india is moving more closer to the US and relation are getting better very quickly. but its still too premature to have the US as a supplier of jets. and reliance on American jet's at this stage may come with consequences.

why would india what the jet in the first place? the mig 29 does the same job as the f18l and at a much cheaper price.

 

[Foxtrot-Bravo]

I don't think US is gonna give Indians any of their built super air crafts after what they did with the super beauty jet F-16.