A VERY CLOSE RACE

Will Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet combat aircraft outshine Dassault Aviation's Rafale arine jet as the Indian Navy's deck-based fighter? ARITRA BANERJEE asks experts for an answer

- 

India is looking to modernise its naval fighter fleet amidst the launch. of the 'Made-In-India' aircraft carrier- Vikrant. The Indian Navy (IN) is looking for sophisticated naval fighters- and Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet Block-III and Dassault Aviation's Rafale-M have emerged as the top contenders.

The IN made a tender announcement in 2017 for 57 fighter jets. At the time, the tender's worth was estimated at $6.6 million. The navy will initially buy 18 single-seat and eight twin-seat jets. These aircraft will be operational on INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya. The former has been designed to house 30-35 aircraft with the air wing expected to comprise MIG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31, MH-60R multirole helicopters, Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).

The current strength of MiG 29(K)the jets the Indian Navy presently uses is insufficient to provide the numbers required to embark on two operational aircraft carriers. This means that the IN needs to finalise its deck-based fighter quickly to complete the air wing for Vikrant. It needs a fighter that is not only Short Take-off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR)-capable but also able to deliver nuclear loads, air-to-air missiles, air-to ground missiles and precision-guided bombs.

The country's fifth generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighter project is still years away.

from becoming a tangible option. The only naval fighters that meet the requirements of the navy now are: Boeing's FA-18 Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation's Rafale Marine.

F/A-18 versus Rafale-M

Both aircraft completed trials at Indian Naval Station Hansa in Goa earlier this year, kicking off a head-to-head competition for the deal.