After declaring the
naval version of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas unfit for
operating from aircraft carriers in its “present form,” the Indian Navy has
launched a global hunt for a carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft.
“The Defence Ministry intends to procure
approximately 57 Multi-Role Carrier-Borne Fighters [MRCBF] for the Navy,” the
Navy stated in the Request for Information (RFI) dated January 17.
Last month, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said
the “present LCA does not meet the carrier capability required by the Navy.” He
said the service would continue to support its development but “at the same
time we will seek aircraft elsewhere which can operate on the aircraft carrier.”
Mig-29K fighters in use ::
The Navy currently operates Russian Mig-29K twin
engine fighters from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. These will also fly
from the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) Vikrant once it enters
service. The Navy has procured 45 Mig-29Ks in two batches.
The Navy does not intend to procure more Mig-29s
given its troubled history.
While the RFI does not specify a single or twin
engine aircraft, Navy officials too had said in the past that they would need
heavier and more capable aircraft for a diverse set of operations.
The RFI says the aircraft are “intended as
day-and-night capable, all-weather, multi-role, deck-based combat aircraft
which can be used for air defence, air-to-surface operations, Buddy refuelling,
reconnaissance etc from IN aircraft carriers.”
The IAC-II which is currently at the design stage
can handle twin engine, heavy aircraft, greatly extending the area of operations.
This narrows down the selection to two aircraft
now available in the global market — Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet and Dassault
Rafale, 36 of which the Indian Air Force has contracted. The F-35 fifth
generation aircraft of the U.S. is also an option.
Source :- The Hindu
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