India Navy Indian Navy General Archive

[Gessler]

Looks like MT30 it is.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1519646251385430018

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1526071458694316032

 

[Gessler]

Slides from a Boeing presentation recently...

Interesting that MQ-25 and US-Australian MQ-28 'Ghost Bat' seem to be among the offers.

Always thought MQ-25 would be a 'natural' offer to India eventually considering the STOBAR carriers...would rather use a drone instead of a fighter for buddy-refueling. The good thing is, MQ-25 is equipped for drogue-chute method so would work with either F/A-18 or Rafale M without issue.

 

[crixus]

Slides from a Boeing presentation recently...

View attachment 44034

View attachment 44035

Interesting that MQ-25 and US-Australian MQ-28 'Ghost Bat' seem to be among the offers.

Always thought MQ-25 would be a 'natural' offer to India eventually considering the STOBAR carriers...would rather use a drone instead of a fighter for buddy-refueling. The good thing is, MQ-25 is equipped for drogue-chute method so would work with either F/A-18 or Rafale M without issue.

F-18's are best available planes for carrier based operation and the growler configuration can literally counter anything in IOR . Personally feel that they carry a decent punch and 26 is the number which is neither too large that US sanction will cripple us neither too small that they will become useless in large conflicts . They work in sync with P-8Is and sea guardians . The munitions they can carry are really best available in the market . This Ukraine-Russia war has literally proved the quality of weapons is what matters in the end

 

[Nilgiri]

F-18's are best available planes for carrier based operation and the growler configuration can literally counter anything in IOR . Personally feel that they carry a decent punch and 26 is the number which is neither too large that US sanction will cripple us neither too small that they will become useless in large conflicts . They work in sync with P-8Is and sea guardians . The munitions they can carry are really best available in the market . This Ukraine-Russia war has literally proved the quality of weapons is what matters in the end

Anything this critical system wise....India will make as sanction proof as possible.

It will be in contract how much spares, rotatables, LRUs etc will be stockpiled and/or made in India....if F-18 (or any foreign platform) is to proceed.

 

[crixus]

Anything this critical system wise....India will make as sanction proof as possible.

It will be in contract how much spares, rotatables, LRUs etc will be stockpiled and/or made in India....if F-18 (or any foreign platform) is to proceed.

I am also skeptical about US planes but the quality of weapon and the leverage which they will provide over Chinese makes it pretty good fit , hopefully in next 15-20 we will have TBDEF

The data sharing between P8Is , Sea Guardians literally gave them upper hand

 

[Nilgiri]

I am also skeptical about US planes but the quality of weapon and the leverage which they will provide over Chinese makes it pretty good fit , hopefully in next 15-20 we will have TBDEF

The data sharing between P8Is , Sea Guardians literally gave them upper hand

There is no real need to be skeptical of US anymore.

Our relationship with them and world setting has changed drastically from the earlier periods where they could betray/renege/dbl-deal much more easily and with little 2nd thought.

They know this quite deeply themselves.

This was whole reason to develop sound network with Israel and French as first basis too, US was not disjointed from that, they were paying attention if any serious reversals happen and also what bridges could be done that (interim) way as well (till 2010 onwards when it really took new proportions directly).


I mean think of what P8 is (power level wise to IN) relative to how US could punish that sanctions wise....compared to something much lower in power level like F-18.

Yet India is extremely happy with P-8 and likely will be with sea guardian too. Means there is underlying clauses that have been worked out and baked in....to have that trust be what it is. Same will apply to any other significant acquisition that India goes for.

But still a healthy distance will also remain given sheer size of these countries and their different contexts.

 

[Gessler]

F-18's are best available planes for carrier based operation and the growler configuration can literally counter anything in IOR . Personally feel that they carry a decent punch and 26 is the number which is neither too large that US sanction will cripple us neither too small that they will become useless in large conflicts . They work in sync with P-8Is and sea guardians . The munitions they can carry are really best available in the market . This Ukraine-Russia war has literally proved the quality of weapons is what matters in the end

The effect of sanctions is often overstated to the extreme. Even if sanctions do occur at some point in the future, it doesn't mean all US hardware drops dead like a fly.

Even after CAATSA, the upkeep of F-16s for the Turkish air force hasn't stopped. Iran had been under sanctions for 40 years and their F-14s and Chinooks are still flying.

 

[Nilgiri]

 

[Gessler]

One more floating dock on the way - currently have 2 in service

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1533080288376475648

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1535864639610793985

 

[Nilgiri]

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1539258210879942656

 

[Nilgiri]

Some pics from ongoing CORPAT:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1539635819241435136