Posted on 07/18/2006 12:40:28 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Indian Navy eyes 100 aircraft by 2020
IANS
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 08:08 IST
NEW DELHI:After the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Indian Navy is looking at acquiring close to 100 aircraft in a mix of fighters, patrol planes and trainers by 2020. On the shopping list are 40 to 50 MiG-29K fighters, 30 long-range maritime patrol (LRMP) aircraft and 10-15 Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJTs), navy chief Admiral Arun Praksh told India Strategic magazine in an interview.
According to him, as the IAF was acquiring the Hawk trainers, it was logical for the navy to go in for either the same aircraft or its naval variant, the British-US Goshawk. Both aircraft were under serious consideration and the choice - and their number - would be finalised by naval headquarters after evaluating the necessary parameters.
The navy needs trainers for the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov it has acquired from Russia and which is due to join the fleet in 2008 as INS Vikramaditya. Ironically, however, the Russians could not extend carrier landing training to the navy and it thus had to go to the US, providing Washington an opportunity to offer it the Goshawk.
Thirty-two Indian Navy pilots have already been assigned to receive carrier takeoff-and-landing training on Goshawks at the US Navy's Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida, where all US naval pilots receive initial and advanced training. The Indian pilots are being sent in batches of four, beginning earlier this year.
"We are essentially committed to buying the Hawk. After the air force run is over, it will be the navy's turn.
"As for the Goshawk, while Boeing has made an offer, we have to get a formal offer from the US State Department. And while there is a change in the US mindset, they often consider these things on a case-to-case basis," Prakash maintained.
Equipped with arrester hook, Goshawk is a strengthened variant for carrier takeoff and landing built by Boeing and BAE Systems with substantial commonality of parts.
Boeing is responsible for the forward fuselage and stabilisers, assembly and systems integration, production test flights and maintenance. BAE Systems (formerly British Aerospace) produces the wings and the centre and rear fuselage while Rolls Royce makes the Adour engines, similar to the ones that power IAF's Jaguars built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Raytheon provides the simulators.
It may be noted that the IAF, which is buying 66 Hawks from Britain, is responsible for giving advanced fighter training to the Indian Navy. HAL would manufacture two-thirds of these aircraft with progressively indigenous content.
As for the MiG-29Ks, an advanced fourth generation fighter, Prakash said the navy was buying one squadron of these jets right now, "but eventually we are talking about 40 to 50 aircraft". He added that the navy was also looking at the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
An aviator and a carrier pilot with 2,500 hours of flying an assortment of aircraft - and a veteran of the 1971 India-Pakistan war - Prakash said the navy periodically redefined its perspective and requirements. Accordingly, it was currently looking at eight LRMPs, but by around 2020 their number was expected to go up to 30.
Whatever the navy would buy would be done after careful consideration of what is available, what is on board, what is the lifecycle cost, availability of spares and some other parameters.
Given this, the navy might not be able, for instance, to buy an aircraft like the Boeing-737 P-8 MMA (multi mission aircraft) or the Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion if it is not equipped with the best of the avionics and missiles like the Harpoons.
Reliable sources in Washington said the US government is yet to clear the Harpoons for India - although both Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been given the go-ahead to negotiate for the sale of their aircraft.
For that matter, the two companies are yet to receive clearance to include their respective radars in the F-18 Super Hornet and F-16 Falcons being offered to the IAF for its sanctioned requirement of 126 multi-role jets.
"We have floated an RFP (request for proposal) for the patrol aircraft and we have responses from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, (Russia's) Ilyushin and Airbus. We currently have five IL-38s but the RFP is for eight more aircraft. We still need more, though. By 2020, we shall need 30 aircraft or so," Prakash said.
Lockheed Martin says it can supply the Orions almost immediately with modifications as required by the Indian Navy. Boeing says its B-737 MMA is a futuristic and faster aircraft, although it will not be in the market before 2009.
Despite the timeframe, a Boeing spokesperson said the company was "confident that our offer will meet the India Navy schedule and mission requirements".
Ping!!!
The next threat area
I heard the Barak IIs are far better than the Harpoons.
They probably will be.The USN supposedly has a healthy respect for the Barak-1s given their performance in tests against Harpoon Blk-1s.Anyway,it's still mystifying,why the Harpoon has not been cleared!!
Yes indeed. Pakistan is getting the Harpoons Blk2s but its not cleared for India.
Toss in some of the new P-8 patrol planes, a couple hundred Harpoons, and a couple squadrons of F/A-18's to operate off the carrier and we would have an extremely close ally in one of the most volatile regions of the world.
they will eventually grow to 5 times that size.
It will be known as the Hindi 500.
Well such carriers would have had to have atleast 25 years life left in them to make sense for the Indian Navy or anyone else to buy them.The problem with American carriers is that most are worked to the hilt,which is not a surprise,unlike British or Russian ships(Never leave port!!).The IN's new Russian origin carrier,the Vikramaditya,can last till beyond 2030.
Besides US carriers are far bigger than anything most navies operate & would need better escorts & logistical backup,which the IN's current resources can't handle.
The Mig-29Ks mentioned will most probably be deployed off the ADS.The Vikramaditya can't carry more than 25 of those & around 20 have been ordered for it already.
On the subject of escorts, what about the Spruance-class destroyers? While these destroyers are about twenty-five years old, they are still considered to be some of the best multi-role surface combatants in the world. Would they have any place in the Indian Navy?
The age of Spruance class ships can be held against them & unless India is offered something like the Tomahawk(unlikely in the near future!!),they are inferior to the Delhi or Talwar class ships or new Indian escorts being built.The OHP class frigates have a better chance being younger & cheaper & there were reports about 2 years ago about India being interested in those.
The only exception is the USS Trenton,a nearly 40 year old LPD,which will be sold to India soon.The IN has not operated LPDs,so that ship will act essentially as training ship which can undertake combat & humanitarian missions.It's unlikely to serve beyond 2020,by when the IN will probably have it's own LPDs.
Hey Senator Biden, I guess besides serving Slurpies they can fly planes too!
Indians can fly planes far better than American pilots.
These fine ASW platforms would be valuable in countering the threat from Pakistan's new Khalid-class subs, which are capable of launching Exocet anti-ship missiles.
THe Khalids could probably launch the Sub-Harpoon as well,which actually entered service with Pakistan before the Exocet & that to on French built subs!!!Reports say that Pakistan is looking at a newer French design,but wants it equipped with Harpoon Blk-2s.
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