F-18 Advanced Super Hornet

[asianobserve]

Block III Super Hornet upgrades to begin this spring

The first US Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to receive service life modification upgrades will arrive at Boeing’s St. Louis facility next April and will leave with an additional 3,000 flight hours of service life, Boeing’s vice president of F/A-18 programmes tells FlightGlobal.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...-hornet-upgrades-to-begin-this-spring-444447/

 

[mattster]

I can't imagine that there is better option out there for the Indian Navy than the F-18 with the latest upgrades.
There is no more proven and tested fighter platform for carriers than the F-18. It would give India a huge leg up over Pak and China in naval aviation. The Rafale with all the extra modifications will cost a bundle. The SeaGripen is completely unproven.

 

[WolfPack86]

I can't imagine that there is better option out there for the Indian Navy than the F-18 with the latest upgrades.
There is no more proven and tested fighter platform for carriers than the F-18. It would give India a huge leg up over Pak and China in naval aviation. The Rafale with all the extra modifications will cost a bundle. The SeaGripen is completely unproven.

It is better to procure F-18 advanced super hornet rather than buying 70's F-16 fighter. Buy buying F-18 advanced super hornet we can please US with out risking Russian relationship. And also HAL will get to build F-18 advanced super hornet in new facility in Banglore. since they lost chance in building Rafale.

 

[binayak95]

It is better to procure F-18 advanced super hornet rather than buying 70's F-16 fighter. Buy buying F-18 advanced super hornet we can please US with out risking Russian relationship. And also HAL will get to build F-18 advanced super hornet in new facility in Banglore. since they lost chance in building Rafale.

Transfer all MiG29Ks to the IAF and let the IN switch over to F-18 ASH completely.

 

[WolfPack86]

Transfer all MiG29Ks to the IAF and let the IN switch over to F-18 ASH completely.

It is good idea since Indian Air force is operating large number of MIG 29 there will no problem at all in operating these MIG 29K.

 

[Sancho]

I can't imagine that there is better option out there for the Indian Navy than the F-18 with the latest upgrades.
There is no more proven and tested fighter platform for carriers than the F-18. It would give India a huge leg up over Pak and China in naval aviation. The Rafale with all the extra modifications will cost a bundle. The SeaGripen is completely unproven.

Proven and tested is not a factor, it needs to fit the operational requirements on the carriers. Needs to offer modern radar, EW, weapons and a flight performance that suits INs needs. Not to mention that it needs to come at a reasonable cost.

Flight performance, EW and at least the A2A weapons will be the disadvantages of the F18. But yes, overall it offers the best package for IN.

 

[asianobserve]

And if the IN do decide to get F/A18 E/F, they must also get some of these bad boy:

EA-18G Growler

 

[Sancho]

And if the IN do decide to get F/A18 E/F, they must also get some of these bad boy:

EA-18G Growler

Not available for India, but probably customizable if we can add Israeli or Swedish escorts jammers.

 

[lcafanboy]

Available but very very costly...................

 

[Sancho]

Available but very very costly...................

Nope, not even Boeing's Growler lite for non NATO export customers was ever approved by US government and the flyaway cost difference is hardly 3 to 5 million compared to the standard F18. The difference is only the EW and avionics parts that were added and most of that is already standard in modern EW suits of European counterparts for example, which leaves the escorts jamming pods as crucial difference, but as said you can buy Rafael's Skyshield or Saabs new Arexis escorts jammers too. There is actually no need for dedicated SEAD varients anymore.

 

[WolfPack86]

Nope, not even Boeing's Growler lite for non NATO export customers was ever approved by US government and the flyaway cost difference is hardly 3 to 5 million compared to the standard F18. The difference is only the EW and avionics parts that were added and most of that is already standard in modern EW suits of European counterparts for example, which leaves the escorts jamming pods as crucial difference, but as said you can buy Rafael's Skyshield or Saabs new Arexis escorts jammers too. There is actually no need for dedicated SEAD varients anymore.

When will Indian Navy will issue RFI for fighter aircrafts and this time HAL will build F-18 advanced super hornet. In recent time Boeing and HAL signed a secret agreement that was not disclosed to public domain.

 

[Armand2REP]

When will Indian Navy will issue RFI for fighter aircrafts and this time HAL will build F-18 advanced super hornet. In recent time Boeing and HAL signed a secret agreement that was not disclosed to public domain.

The RFI was issued in January.

https://quwa.org/2017/01/31/india-issues-rfi-57-carrier-borne-fighters/

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said a request for proposal (RFP) is likely to be issued by mid-2018

Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/61884897.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[WolfPack86]

The RFI was issued in January.

https://quwa.org/2017/01/31/india-issues-rfi-57-carrier-borne-fighters/

Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba said a request for proposal (RFP) is likely to be issued by mid-2018

Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/61884897.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Thank you very much for the information but mid 2018 is far away i think it is october 2018 or november 2018.

 

[Sancho]

When will Indian Navy will issue RFI for fighter aircrafts and this time HAL will build F-18 advanced super hornet. In recent time Boeing and HAL signed a secret agreement that was not disclosed to public domain.

Boeing is proposing to work with HAL, but the tender doesn't necessarily require a licence production, it reportedly asks if it was possible by the OEM? With the budget issues, off the shelf procurements might be cheaper, with parts of the the production diverted to HAL as part of the offsets. Boeing has done that before and is the single biggest offset provider so far:

but mid 2018 is far away i think it is october 2018 or november 2018.

Keep in mind that elections are coming in 2019, if nothing happens till mid 2018, it might be postponed till the 2nd NDA term, with the hope of the GDP picking up again.

 

[Armand2REP]

Boeing is proposing to work with HAL, but the tender doesn't necessarily require a licence production, it reportedly asks if it was possible by the OEM? With the budget issues, off the shelf procurements might be cheaper, with parts of the the production diverted to HAL as part of the offsets. Boeing has done that before and is the single biggest offset provider so far:

Also keep in mind that Boeing cancelled the HAL contract for P8I.

http://www.financialexpress.com/economy/boeing-ends-contract-with-hal/110345/

 

[WolfPack86]

NAVY DOGFIGHT BEGINS: India Opens Talks With Boeing & Dassault
The Indian Navy has officially opened vendor discussions with Boeing Defense and Dassault Aviation under its most ambitious current aviation thrust, a quest for 57 multirole fighters to operate off its future aircraft carriers. Livefist can confirm that while the navy did receive four responses in response to its call for information last year, only two are being regarded as ‘serious contenders’.

A top Indian Navy aviation and procurement officer confirmed proceedings on the Multirole Carrier Borne Fighter (MRCBF) project to Livefist. He said, “We are treating only two of the responses as being from serious and ready contenders. This is in the interests of our current requirements and timelines.”

As projected here on Livefist before, the contest is progressing as a direct face-off between Boeing’s F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet and a modified version of Dassault’s Rafale M F3Rstandard. Livefist can confirm that the Indian Navy isn’t regarding by the same measure of seriousness the two other responses it has received — from Russia for the MiG-29K and from Sweden’s Saab for the concept Gripen Maritime. It is all but official, therefore, that these last two contenders don’t have a place in the potential race.

A request for proposal (RfP) process for the 57 naval fighters, to be executed under the Strategic Partnership (SP) model, could begin later this year. The navy is in the process of finetuning operational staff requirements before freezing naval air staff requirements (NASR).

While the navy hasn’t stipulated engine numbers and launch configuration in its RFI sent out last year, Livefist gathers that planners are steeply inclined towards catapult launch (CATOBAR) operations, all but confirming that India’s future aircraft carriers (IAC-2 onwards) will be flat-top vessels, rather than the ski-jump fitted aircraft carriers it has operated thus far (barring the original INS Vikrant in its early configuration). India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, the new Vikrant-class, will be a ski-jump fitted ship like the INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat before it.

Both Boeing and Dassault have invested energies in attempting to persuade the Indian Navy that the F/A-18 and Rafale, respectively, are capable of operations of a ski-jump fitted carrier, even if they’re design-built for launches off a catapult system. It is understood that the Indian Navy has officially requested data on simulations conducted by both companies in this regard.

Progress on what is arguably the Indian Navy’s most significant current procurement push comes at a time replete with pressures and uncertainties that could almost certainly complicate, delay — perhaps even derail — momentum towards the next step. For instance, a vituperative opposition party-led political spotlight on the Indian government’s 2016 Rafale deal has made the readily touchy act of arms contracting in India even more sensitive. With India’s next national election less than 18 months away, all processes with even the slightest capacity to trigger political noise go slow. And this is not to even mention the enormous complexities and uncertainties buffeting the Strategic Partnership model itself and how India can even execute under it.

As Livefist reported last year, there are inevitable linkages between the Indian Navy’s requirements and what could come next for the Indian Air Force — a seemingly insatiable quest for squadrons to meet sanctioned strength numbers. The Indian Air Force’s quest for 100 single engine fighters under the Strategic Partnership model, a direct face-off between Saab’s Gripen Eand the F-16 Block 70, is also reported to have run into trouble over fears of a single-vendor situation. Concerns that apply to the IAF’s quest will definitely apply to the navy’s own. Neither service will be holding its breath.

A poignant confirmation that Livefist was able to obtain as part recent interactions with naval planners was that the indigenous LCA Navy Mk.2, seen earlier as the last hope for the home-grown fighter for carrier operations, is officially off the table. Documents viewed by your correspondent show that on October 18, 2016, at a meeting between then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, an Indian Navy team and representatives of the DRDO, it was officially decided that the file on the LCA Mk.1 and Mk.2 would be closed from a procurement perspective, though funding would continue. Noting that the proposed Mk.2 also did not meet requirements and would be available too late, Parrikar signed off on a decision to de-link the LCA program from the navy’s quest for further fighters. The file notes, ‘ADA to continue development of LCA Navy Mk.2 as an intermediate step with an aim to develop an indigenous deck based fighter that will meet naval requirements’. Minutes of a meeting that took subsequently took place on November 21, 2016 show that the navy was then cleared to ‘initiate a case for deck based fighters independent of the LCA Mk.2 project’.

The Indian Navy is therefore planning to formalise financial support to the fifth generation AMCA program is the potential first indigenous deck-based fighter.
https://www.livefistdefence.com/201...s-india-opens-talks-with-boeing-dassault.html

 

[WolfPack86]

DRAL will build Rafale M while HAL will build F-18 advanced super hornet.

 

[Wisemarko]

Nope, not even Boeing's Growler lite for non NATO export customers was ever approved by US government and the flyaway cost difference is hardly 3 to 5 million compared to the standard F18. The difference is only the EW and avionics parts that were added and most of that is already standard in modern EW suits of European counterparts for example, which leaves the escorts jamming pods as crucial difference, but as said you can buy Rafael's Skyshield or Saabs new Arexis escorts jammers too. There is actually no need for dedicated SEAD varients anymore.

Australia is a non-NATO country and operates F-18G

 

[Immanuel]

Proven and tested is not a factor, it needs to fit the operational requirements on the carriers. Needs to offer modern radar, EW, weapons and a flight performance that suits INs needs. Not to mention that it needs to come at a reasonable cost.

Flight performance, EW and at least the A2A weapons will be the disadvantages of the F18. But yes, overall it offers the best package for IN.

I doubt flight performance will be an issue for IN's version since EPE will be on offer and this would improve it's overall transonic performance which was a disadvantage in the previous block.

 

[Sancho]

I doubt flight performance will be an issue for IN's version since EPE will be on offer and this would improve it's overall transonic performance which was a disadvantage in the previous block.

Flight performance was a key problem in MMRCA, because the SH fell short to IAF requirements. For IN it's even more critical, because it needs to prove enough performance to take off from the carrier with a useful load.
The EPE is an option, which however is neither developed yet, nor cheap. If that needs to be added to make the SH useful, the cost-effectivity advantage is gone.