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Nilgiri

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Nilgiri

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F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter has distinct advantages over Rafale-M, says Boeing vice-president Torbjorn Sjogren


The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter jet has distinct advantages in terms of capability over the competitor French Rafale-M jet to operate from the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers, said a senior official from aircraft manufacturer Boeing. India is also negotiating the purchase of additional Chinook CH-47F(I) Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, according to Torbjorn (Turbo) Sjogren, vice president, International Government and Defence, Boeing.

“One thing we’re very confident about is the capability that readiness and the proficiency of the product. The F/A-18 and F/A-18F can operate off Indian aircraft carriers. That’s a clear discriminator we’ve got over the French,” Mr. Turbo said in a virtual interview to The Hindu, pointing that the twin seater trainer variant of the Rafale-M cannot operate from carriers and would be sitting on the ground. The number of trainer aircraft within the deal is not an insignificant number, he noted.

Elaborating, he said the size of the carrier, the logistics of the aircraft, in terms of how many aircraft and how to move the aircraft around the carrier, there are challenges. “We have solved that problem. Our team down in Bangalore solved the problem, and we have a solution for that... So there is some tailoring needed, more so in terms of the logistics on board,” Mr. Turbo said.

The Navy had originally projected a requirement of 57 aircraft under the deal, but the number is likely to be revised to 26 with in the backdrop of a new indigenous Twin Engine Carrier Based Deck Fighter being designed and developed indigenously. “We are eager to see when they define what the need is going to be and then how to do it,” he said.

With the indigenous carrier Vikrant set to be commissioned in August, Navy is in urgent need of carrier based jets to operate from both the carriers.


Last month, two Boeing F/A-18s were in Goa to demonstrate their compatibility and suitability to operate from Indian aircraft carriers by conducting trials from the Indian Navy’s Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF). Rafale-M had carried out similar demonstration earlier this year.

Indian Air Force operates 22 Apache attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters procured from Boeing through the Foreign Military Sales programme of the U.S. government under a $3 billion deal in September 2015. Further, during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to India in February 2020, India signed a deal for six more Apaches to cost around $800 million to be operated by the Army.

On other deal, Mr. Turbo said discussions are on for an additional seven Chinook helicopters, Mr. Turbo said. “Army is looking for more Apaches and IAF is looking for more Chinooks.”

The Navy operates 12 P-8I long range maritime aircraft procured Boeing in two batches. Another case for six more P-8I aircraft for which Defence Ministry has given initial approval has been delayed with the government’s review of all direct imports.

There is currently significant amount of interest worldwide for the P-8Is and they are in negotiations with several countries in India’s neighbourhood, New Zealand, Australia and some Southeast Asian countries. However, Mr. Turbo cautioned that at some point in time, if they do not have enough orders, the assembly lines would be shut giving the example of the C-17 transport aircraft for which there is renewed worldwide but the lines have been long shut. “We’re not there yet, but I mean, that’s a reality. The C-17s are a great example,” Mr. Turbo said.

Without giving a specific timeline for such a scenario, he said the Indian Navy and the U.S. Navy are well aware of what that timeline is.

Talking of the large portfolio of products with the Indian armed forces, Mr. Turbo said, “The performance of our products, and the teams that support our products, I think, is instrumental in terms of those campaigns going forward.” He further stated that as part of this, they are also leveraging local capability and self-reliance and so there is a major focus and also an opportunity for “Boeing to utilize India more than we’re doing today.”

For instance, he said all the Apache fuselage worldwide are built at their Joint venture with Tata Group in Hyderabad. “There’s a lot of interest in the Apache right now. Australia, Poland, Romania, a lot of European countries, as every one of those fuselages are going to be manufactured there,” Mr. Turbo said adding the 1,100 suppliers, sub-suppliers that are supporting Tata are obviously critical in that regard.

Boeing is also in the race for the IAF’s tender for 114 jets pitching in its F-15EX as well the F-18 fighters
 

RogerRanger

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The Rafale M is the better, more modern aircraft. However the F-18 would likely be cheaper and come with more American tech. I also like the Russian carrier aircraft too. There aren't many options for a carrier aircraft though. Excited to see of India can get a homemade one operational or not.
 

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FYVCFZMUsAA0gFE
 

Nilgiri

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Why so many different airframes?

Conventional wings are better for lower speed performance overall compared to delta wing.

I think HAL has gotten feedback from enough diverse sources as to Tejas drawback in LIFT arena given its design is really "fighter + interceptor" first compared to trainer role.

Conventional wing design will also tie up nicer when the BaE Hawk trainers (AJT) are due for replacement later both in India and also worldwide.

IMO, India should have started (in 80s/90s) a 3 branch ecosystem of single engine LIFT/AJT, single engine fighter/interceptor and double engine fighter and designed each one to be optimised around the shared powerplant chosen (there would be significant shared work among the three that uses development time well and saves time for later)....instead of "just" doing LCA (Mig -21 replacement) and try to squish it in to cover two roles a bit too much given its delta wing.
 

Nilgiri

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New Delhi, December 22

India and Japan are set to conduct their first-ever bilateral combat air exercise over 10 days in Japan next month.

The exercise named ‘Veer Guardian 23’ will be conducted from January 16 to January 26. The Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) will conduct a bilateral fighter training with the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The exercise aims to promote mutual understanding and strengthen defence cooperation between the air forces.

IAF will be fielding its Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft drawn from a squadron under the Western Air Command. The IAF 150 crew will be flying in IAF’s C-17 transport aircraft. The fighter jets on their journey from India to Japan will be re-fuelled mid-air using the IL-78 planes of the IAF.

Japan will field its F-2 jets which are derivatives of the F-16 plane of the US. It will also field the F-15, like the oones used by the US too.

The exercise will at Hyakuri Air Base north-west of Tokyo.

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Nilgiri

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Some visuals coming out:


Timestamps
37:47 インド空軍C-17着陸(第1陣)
1:16:30 インド空軍Su-30MKI戦闘機着陸
1:23:24 放水歓迎 Water Spray welcome
2:51:50 インド空軍C-17着陸(第2陣)


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