Indian Navy Submitted an RFI to Dassault about the Rafale M Carrier Capable Variant

[Abingdonboy]

No I am not much more optimistic, given IN's focus on the USN as their idol. All I'm saying is, that FGFA offers all the capabilities to make it the best carrier fighter and that going for catapults doesn't necessary mean that we have to use it for fighters. It's just a matter of what is available for us, techwise, designwise and what is needed wrt operational requirements.
And as I told you before, the EMALS offer won't come for free, which is why I still think we will have to go for US carrier fighters, the one or the other way. Which however still doesn't reject N-FGFA automatically, since a hybrid carrier can support both, N-FGFA and F18SH. The Rafale M though has the least chances by now imo.

So go for a few F-18SHs to keep the US happy and push for the N-FGFA simultaniously? Out of the box thinking for sure but can we expect this realistically? I'm skeptical.

 

[pursuit of happiness]

Dassault Aviation chief executive officer Eric Trappier announced yesterday during a press conference that the French company has replied to a request for information from the Indian Navy on the naval Rafale M single-seat carrier-capable variant of its fighter.

A Rafale M with an AM39 Exocet Anti-ship missile is launched from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Archive picture: French Navy



India and France are in final negotiation for the procurement of 126 Rafale fighters for the Indian Air Force.

Indian Navy's current (INS Vikramaditya, INS Viraat) and near term (INS Vikrant) aircraft carriers are all fitted with a ramp for STOBAR type operations (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery). While likely capable of STOBAR operations, the Rafale M capabilities would be maximized with a CATOBAR type aircraft carrier (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) like the US Navy aircraft carriers or the French Navy aircraft carrier.


Indian Navy Submitted an RFI to Dassault about the Rafale M Carrier Capable Variant

--
rfi pe rfi

hamare Rafael kab aayenge ?

 

[Screambowl]

looks like In will acquire the aircraft earlier than IAF

 

[al-basri]

I'm asking about its launching system?

 

[sancho]

So go for a few F-18SHs to keep the US happy and push for the N-FGFA simultaniously? Out of the box thinking for sure but can we expect this realistically? I'm skeptical.

Why not? The US can't tell us what the design of the carrier has to be, on which we will use their catapults or fighters. They only can have a problem when we would use their techs and sytems on a Russian or jointly developed carrier where the Russians might have access to the techs. That however is not necessary, since we already have the know how to build a STOBAR carrier, so all we need to do is add catapults to that design and benefit from both.

 

[GURU DUTT]

I'm asking about its launching system?

i hope this helps

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System - EMALS

 

[janon]

I'm asking about its launching system?

Almost certainly CATOBAR, and recent news indicate that IN will go for EMALS.

It looks like the likely candidate which is a real shame because this is a white elephant if ever I saw one. The IAF's FGFAs will put the IN's F-35s to shame...

That's not relevant. The IN's role is different from the IAF's. The IN's air arm is not looking for air superiority - mostly they will be flying over oceans, not enemy or home territory. But then, the F-35 can take on any fighter out there today in A2A, barring the F-22. The sensors and stealth of the F-35 make it a very valuable platform to have. It can evade the radars of ships due to its stealth, and it can do a lot of ISR missions better than any other fighter in existence can, and can of course launch a few harpoons or Exocets to destroy the ship before they knew what hit them.

The F-35 program has been very shabbily managed and funded, but the F-35 itself is a valuable asset to have. Any military on earth would give an arm and a leg to be able to make it.

On topic, the IN really cannot afford to purchase yet another 4th gen fighter, when they already have two. IAC-2 is a decade away from materializing, and by at that time the IN should only be looking at 5th gen options. (F-35 or N-FGFA or N-AMCA).

 

[al-basri]

You can't have f18SH for your carriers.....you need catapults...or thrust vectors for the aircraft itself...

 

[sancho]

The IN's role is different from the IAF's. The IN's air arm is not looking for air superiority - mostly they will be flying over oceans, not enemy or home territory.

That's not correct, since the prime role of IN's carrier fighters is air defence of the carrier battle group. That's why the Harriers were upgraded with modern A2A capabilities and why N-LCA's prime role will be air defence too.
But with more capable carriers, there is a need to have more capable fighters too, to actually project power and not only defend the carrier. That's why IN considered Rafale, F18SH or naval MKIs in the past, or why they looked what fighters would be available for IAC2, since N-LCA is by far not useful for more than basic carrier defence.

You can't have f18SH for your carriers.....you need catapults...or thrust vectors for the aircraft itself...

That's why we are negotiating with the US to get catapults and all recent official statements makes clear, that they are ready to provide us them now. The question now is only when and under what conditions?

 

[DeathInvader]

No I am not much more optimistic, given IN's focus on the USN as their idol. All I'm saying is, that FGFA offers all the capabilities to make it the best carrier fighter and that going for catapults doesn't necessary mean that we have to use it for fighters. It's just a matter of what is available for us, techwise, designwise and what is needed wrt operational requirements.
And as I told you before, the EMALS offer won't come for free, which is why I still think we will have to go for US carrier fighters, the one or the other way. Which however still doesn't reject N-FGFA automatically, since a hybrid carrier can support both, N-FGFA and F18SH. The Rafale M though has the least chances by now imo.

F18SH is not want we would ever want. But you have a point. Maybe US is looking for exporting F-35 to India and hence giving us EMALS.

 

[Echo_419]

It looks like the likely candidate which is a real shame because this is a white elephant if ever I saw one. The IAF's FGFAs will put the IN's F-35s to shame...

Also I don't trust the Americans that much better to go for Rafael-M as a stop Gap & focus in Navalizing FGFA

 

[thesolar65]

RFI pe RFI ye saala ye kab sign hoga? ?

Jab "Bhagwan" ka dehant hoga!!

 

[al-basri]

Is it possible to create an aircraft carrier like the one in avengers?...if so then how many years we will have to wait?

 

[Abingdonboy]

Also I don't trust the Americans that much better to go for Rafael-M as a stop Gap & focus in Navalizing FGFA

As @sancho points out, it is more than likely the EMALS may come as part of a package so the IN may have no choice but to go for an American carrier fighter.

 

[sancho]

F18SH is not want we would ever want. But you have a point. Maybe US is looking for exporting F-35 to India and hence giving us EMALS.

They surely are trying to export F35Cs, since they need more customers for it to reduce the costs. But that doesn't mean it's the only choice we have. The Silent Hornet is the most cost-effective choice IN has, it offers engine commonality to N-LCA MK2 and we might be able to get some industrial advantages out of it as well (production of certain F18SH parts or upgrade with Indian systems like indigenous RWR, MAWS or LWR). It also will offer more ease of maintenance, especially with the engine under licence production in India anyway, while the F35 is limited to maintenance at dedicated hubs only (Italy or Japan). So there are reason that speaks for the F18SH, even if it's not a stealth fighter. The question is only, can we use naval FGFA or AMCA in addition to it from the same carrier, or will we limit us to the CATOBAR design and therefor to the F35C as the only option?