Indian Navy Interested In F/A 18 Super Hornets For INS Vikramaditya

[vish]

The youtube video that you are referring to may be that of a test carried by the Russian Navy. It makes no sense for the Russians to make the Su-33 that cannot carry moderately significant payloads and does not have adequate range. Certainly the Russians aren’t that naive.

16 Mig-29K (12 fighters + 4 trainers) have been ordered; these will be for the INS Vikramaditya. An option to acquire 30 additional aircraft by 2015 is also included in the contract; this makes sense as the aircraft can carry more than 12 fixed-wing aircraft (as far as my knowledge goes; 30 aircraft; 20 fixed wing + 10 helicopters). The ship will feature around 10 helicopters (2 Ka-31 AEW + 8 or more Ka-28 ASW). The LCA-N cannot be ruled out either.

The INS Viraat will continue with her present aircraft component of Harriers, Sea King, Ka-31 and Ka-28. The Harriers may be replaced by the Mig-29K or the LCA-N.

The report posted on the first page is based on this Russian report; I doubt the credibility of both (the Russian and the one posted by Khalsa) these reports. Further, I just found a report (click here) wherein the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash has said that the IN is not interested in the F-18 simply because it (F-18) is not suited for STOBAR.

The above report also clarifies that the IN is not “hedging its bets against the failure of the Tejas.” The IN has expressed an interest in 40 LCA-Ns.

The aircraft component for the ADS/IAC (30 aircraft; 20 fixed wing + 10 helicopters) hasn’t been finalised. In all likelihood, it will be a mix of Mig-29K, LCA-N, Ka-31, and Ka-28.

But I’m still unsure about the next ADS/IAC (STOBAR or CATOBAR; same size or larger).

The USS Kitty Hawk affair was nothing more than a bunch of rumours. The E-2 Hawkeye was offered to India; incompatibility with STOBAR led to its rejection. The IN is not looking for an AWACS; the issue being the same, compatibility with STOBAR.

 

[SpArK]

Boeing, US Navy Conduct Successful F/A-18E/F Satellite Communications Test


New capability designed to provide 2-way secure SATCOM for Super Hornet aircrews



ST. LOUIS, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Boeing BA -0.12% and the U.S. Navy have successfully completed an in-flight demonstration of a satellite communications (SATCOM) system that, if implemented, will enable F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircrews to conduct two-way, secure voice and data communications with other SATCOM-enabled aircraft, ships, ground forces and command centers.

The test took place May 23-30 at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's Advanced Weapons Lab at China Lake, Calif., and was conducted by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-31.

The SATCOM system was installed on a Navy EA-18G Growler - a variant of the F/A-18F that includes a SATCOM antenna.


During the flight testing, the VX-31 aircrew conducted satellite-enabled secure voice and data transmissions with a ground-based team at China Lake and at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

"Using the existing EA-18G architecture allowed Boeing and the Navy to demonstrate this capability less than 90 days after the initial request," said Mike Gibbons, Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs vice president. "This approach significantly reduced risk, cost and testing schedule, while demonstrating this important communications capability for the Navy."

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a low observable, multirole aircraft that performs virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. Boeing has delivered more than 480 F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy. The F/A-18E/F has logged more than 166,000 combat flight hours supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $32 billion business with 61,000 employees worldwide. Follow us on Twitter: @BoeingDefense.