my first thread so take it easy mates.
Don't be shy, discussing and sharing our thoughts is what we here for right? But if you copy and paste add the links too.
My point is we will be getting PAK FA our fifth gen fighter for our airforce so why should we not induct a fifth gen fighter for our navy too. We can get a clear advantage if we go for F35 for our navy's IAC 1 and IAC2 with our own Naval LCA.
You are right about that we need 5th gen fighters for IN, especially when we sooner or later have to face their carriers, or even have to send our carriers to the east. But your choice and your mix doesn't fit. Once N-LCA on the otherside is neither a stealth fighter, nor a capable carrier fighter at all. It was designed for low to medium range engagements only with smaller loads, contrary to what is needed on a carrier.
Secondly, because it doesn't make sense to go for F35 on our smaller STOBAR carriers and the far less capable N-LCA on IAC 2, which might even have catapults. Only the F35B could be used from STOBAR carriers and that with much performance limitations (low bring back capability, because it has to land vertically, lower range and payload than the C version), it also don't have foldable wings, which requirers more space to park in on deck or in the hangar and what makes it less useful in a smaller carrier.
Also we have to keep in mind that the F35 represents the latest techs of the US and even if we might get a downgraded export version, they still will put high restriction on the fighter, to keep an eye on it's techs and how we use it. As an independent country, with very different foreign policies India can't efford to take such a limited option, especially if we talk about a fighter that is aimed to project our force! So unless the US we change their export restriction laws, the F35 is a bad choice for us, which leaves only a naval FGFA, or AMCA as options.
The FGFA would be a perfect carrier fighter, thanks to it's big internal fuel and weapon capacity, it offers long range and endurance. Also with it's excellent sensor arrays, it should even provide better detection capability than than the Ka 31s.
The Russians already plan it with folding wings:
Similar to their Su 33s, which gives it a very low span, the only problem is, since it will be a navalised version of an air force fighter design, it might only be useful for STOBAR carriers, but IN want CATOBAR carriers for a long time and the only solution for that would be, to develop an AMCA from the start as a carrier fighter, that later could be used for IAF as well. Sadly ADA and DRDO have their own interests in mind and not what the forces really needs, or what is strategically the best for our country, so the chances for a good naval carrier fight at this point are not that good and whatever it will be at the end, it will be aimed on the arrival of IAC 2. Anything earlier than that will be 4th to 4.5th gen, which fits to our current threat perception.