Two F/A-18 Super Hornets performed demo flights at the shore-based ski jump facility at the Indian Navy's INS Hansa air station earlier this year. This is Boeing's official video of the demo containing first formal images.
I'll be glad to see India use F-18 E/F on their carrier. Kudos to the Indian Navy for building a carrier and whatever aircraft wins BRAVO ZULU Indian Navy! SALUTE.
Now it seems like F-18 have fair enough chances to win the competition as before we were not considering it against Rafale M. Rest IN & technical teams know far better than any of us. Few if & buts are their but hope best ll win the Test 🇮🇳🤘🏻
@@adithyanairh196 no Rafael wings dont fold cant fit in our lift of carrier otherwise it would best f18 hight chace as tejas engine is same and less price
@@anantgautam2485 yes mk1a mk1 will have 100+ that also enough for same type of jet engine , we had higest of su30 272 now mk1/a will be 2nd largest in unit with airforce thats big numbers
@@rajeshrai6293 All these are speculations. We don’t know the parameters of Vikrant’s lift or hangar then how can you come to the conclusion that Rafale does not fit and the super hornet does? Don’t bring out a measurement from google maps because it is not 100% accurate.
I think this is a foregone conclusion that the Hornet will be on board our magnificent carrier. It is widely used by 5he US's various carriers hence there is no doubt about it's quality and performance. In addition, Tata and Boing are well connected in different aspects of aviation. And, last but not least, the Indian government is keen to keep the Americans in the defence loop. The Russians, French and Israeli weapon systems are already in India, a good gesture towards the Americans is also important being part of the Quad and i2u2 block! 🇮🇳
@@Ati-Maharathi hate to say this but India isn't the only one that owns east and western made aircraft. Malaysia has Su-30MKI and F/A-18, Indonesia owns Su-27 and F-16, Poland has MiG-29 and F-16, Philipines has Mi-17 and UH-1 and the list goes on
Would love to see what those insane Indian pilots can do with F-18. You have to be a little bit nuts to be a good fighter jock, and these guys get their jollies from stuff like making three-foot waves in the Ganges and landing in these little valleys in the Himalayas where people are saying what the f**k is that guy doing. Hats off to them, even if it goes to Rafale.
Rafale doesn't fold it's wing and can't fit the lift of the Indian carriers .. By end of 2022 or early 23 India will announce f18 purchase.. They are in talks cos us jets come with its own terms and conditions
It is better to have a capable naval fighter than a fighter that comes with lot of political strings. I strongly believe India won't play second fiddle to any other country in the world.
As a retired IAF pilot. I'd still pitch for Rafale.... Will reduce cost of components, technical learning aspect , broaden the learning an aircraft faster, etc etc. Whatever it is, Hope they take the correct decision. Jai Hind.
The Rafale has to remove the nose radome that protects the radar, and weapons on its wing tips before it can use the elevator. It's also known that Rafale spare parts and operation costs are much higher. There are around 1,500 F-18s produced as oppose to around 250 Rafales. Going forward, there's more chances that the USA upgrades it's technology much faster. Citing military reviews: "The Rafale's wings are not foldable. Parts must be removed - such as nose cone and wing tips" Now, is it worth it for India to buy 20-30 planes of each kind? You need a plan going forward and let's not wait for future combat airplanes promised by the research bureaus. They are often late by 10-15 years. Rafale means gust. The E goes at the end. Rafael is a boy's name in many languages, like Rafael Nadal :)
i dont know why this bugs me, but, why is the instrument panel blurred out? its not like there is anything of high value on those ddi displays, but, whatever i guess.
The Super Hornets definitely will have to demonstrate that it's the best at what the requirements of the Indian Navy are, especially when the other option is Rafale, on which the Indian pilots are already trained and knowledgeable of. It'll be super awesome to get such an incredible and proven aircraft for the Indian Navy, but the French machines have always been reliable and won wars for us(Mirages bombing the hell out of the Kargil intruders and outposts). Will the USA finally agree to a sweet deal?or better yet, a TOT?
How does the Super Hornet's main landing gear work with the Indian carrier's hold back system? The Hornet's gear has a main leg that hinges with the main wheels training behind. The hold backs on the carrier hold the wheels of the Mig-29K currently being used. Would Boeing have to put some kind of reinforcement on the main gear or even redesign it completely to work with it?
Either the chalks were at the same position of the landing gear or no chalks were used but the super hornet took a longer takeoff position that the regular Indian and Russian aircraft. Remember, the US Navy does the same ski jump at Pax river without the arresting chalks, so they must be familiar with the length required for rolling with Ski Jump.
@@TheKing-xp7lq in past also I have heard news about fighter carrier program but still it's going same stobar carrier have they limitations. Which is difficult eliminate at engineering level. And usa operated this fighter on CATOBAR which is much advance than stobar type carriers.
@@RohanSingh-jc9ns lol just google how inefficient and unrealiable catobar system is.. And have a family member in navy placed at ins rajali , info i got was f18 is much more capable than our needs and a proven jet. Only 56 Rafale M has been produced and it cant fold its wings nor take off with centre hardpoints loaded from our aircraft.. Recently f18 pilot commanded 3 uavs from his cockpit .. More over it has growler
@@TheKing-xp7lq I am not talking about rafale and don't know about I agree about your point about rafale but i am talking about USA aircraft. Charles de gulle is much smaller carrier than USA carrier.
F/A 18 Block 3 is offered by Boeing For Indian Navy's MMRCA, For The Testing Block 2 Variant was Sent (Main checking/Testing Was Of payloads from SBTF)
@@pradyutsarma8021 because the production of the conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) to be used on the Block III Super Hornets was halted last year; it would make zero sense to market such a fighter without its very USP, which happens to be enhanced combat radius and range (these don't exist without the CFTs).....
Forget about reduced cost in using Rafael M, will India get autonomy in using the US sold aircraft. That's a major concern why India shouldn't buy US defence products, will that clause be waived? If not, just buy Rafael M.
@@danielh1708 Nor have the Maines operated the A-10, but a Marine Aviator would do what a squid or a blue bell cant....use each to it's fullest and then some....whot iz yuh...ignerint? Let me guess..you have got to be either Army or Coast Guard?
Rafale will be chosen for a simple reason. This is the last time Indian Navy will buy a foreign made fighter jet. So it wouldn't make much sense to get such a few number of a completely new fighter. This tender is for a stopgap till tedbf is ready
India should get them on board,I can just imagine the synchronisity between India and the quad nations to work in tandem and support systems on their naval missions in the blue oceans.I just hope murica doesnt F-it up with future use scenarios that could bring in sanctions.Trust is America's achilles heel.Will India Trust America and give it a second chance?
@@kanishkdhanker0280 see the Mig29k is currently being upgraded to UPG standards.. with better engines and new AESA radar.. MAWS IRST and new weapons package.. so for 1 aircraft carrier they'll do just fine after upgrade. But the new tender is for 57 aircrafts.. which can be sufficient for both.. vikranth and Vikramaditya.. we'll see how it goes. The block 3 will be bought no doubt.
As this is a deal of leasing until the tedbf becomes operational I think the hornets have agood chance. If it was a permanant military purchase rafale would've won hands down.
Both are badass fighters. However, Rafale M makes more sense from financial and operational standpoint since we already operate it. FA/18 would require us to have brand new maintenance infra. Plus, when TEDBF comes to fruition, Rafale M can be handed over to the airforce and it would fit right in since airforce already has experience operating Rafales. The only con with Rafale M is its lack of foldable wings which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to fit in the lift of the carrier. FA/18 comes with foldable wings. The downside to FA/18 is that they might come with lots of strings attached regarding how and when they can be used. Also, the French are a more reliable partner than the Americans.
No the IAF operates it not the IN. They have different mission requirements. Rafale was not a carrier borne fighter in the first place while F 18 was developed from the ground up to be a carrier aircraft
@@josephabrahamputhumana7355 Never said IN operates Rafale. All I am saying is Rafale M can later be transferred to the airforce. Yes, FA/18 Is a carrier based fighter but same goes for TEDBF which is designed for carrier based ops. In the lo g run, Rafale M and TEDBF makes more sense in my opinion. FA/18 would not only require brand new MRO setup but might also come with strings attached I terms of when, where and how it can be used. There are too many instances of US backstabbing India in the past. French are much more reliable.
@@bhavikdhebar9268 assuming all this to be true (particularly the part wherein you mentioned the Americans' penchant for backstabbing their "allies"), how long will it take for the TEDBF to actually be declared operational from an aircraft carrier? To answer that, we may need to look at a similar project - the HAL Tejas, a.k.a. the LCA..... Its first flight (that of the first Technology Demonstrator, to be exact) occurred on January 4, 2001 - almost 22 years ago - and its induction into service occurred in July 2016, more than a decade and a half after it was first unveiled..... Since the TEDBF is also to be developed and produced by HAL Ltd., wouldn't it be reasonably safe to assume that its own development, testing and operationalization would take a comparable (if not longer) period of time? This is a BIG reason to worry, especially given the fact that the Indian Navy's fleet of MiG-29Ks is seriously prone to engine failures, glitches and malfunctions; one particularly well-publicized crash in 2020 killed a senior naval aviator who held the rank of Commander..... In light of all this, I strongly support the acquisition of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet by the Indian Navy as it is a battle-tested, proven and reliable airframe, having served in numerous conflicts since its induction; by the way, it entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1999 - a full five years before the Rafale M (the Rafale's navalized variant) entered service with the Marine Nationale in June 2004.....
@@dominicsaviochettiar funny how you think I said that Americans have penchant for backstabbing their allies. Never alluded at anything even close to that. It's a known fact that American hardware comes with strings attached. Even America's terrorist heaven heart throb Pakistan got their fighters with conditions. If you are aware of the threat scenario that India faces at this time and juxtapose that with historical events when US left India high and dry, you would realize that FA/18, despite it being battle tested and arguably superior to Rafale M, is not a risk India should be taking. You mentioned delays in LCA development. Do you know one of the main reasons why LCA was delayed? It's because US agreed to provide the fly-by-wire software for the aircraft but backed off at the last minute citing nuclear testing by India. Denial to GPS data during Kargil war that resulted in deaths of several Indian soldiers is another example of the extent to which US can go. While harping that India is a strategic ally, US coninues to molly coddle our western neighbour who has been exporting terror to India for more than 3 decades. Given this behavior, its kinda hard to trust US. This might change in future but we are not there yet. Weapons purchase decisions are not solely based on technology credentials. Geopolitics plays a huge role in such decisions. Afterall, what good is a weapon if it's full capabilities cannot be put to use during a war? France is a more reliable partner and Rafale M checks all the boxes - Technology, reliability of the supplier and logistics. Yes, TEDBF induction will take time and Mig 29K, while a formidable fighter, is plagued with problems. That is exactly why we are looking for a Naval fighter.
Save your money India. You already have plenty of perfectly capable 4th generation fighters, which is all the Super Hornet is. No matter how many bells and whistles Boeing adds to it, in the end it's still just another 4th gen fighter. Invest in a 5th gen platform - the most proven and most widely deployed of which is the F-35.
Ok. I have conveyed your thoughts to the Indian Navy to reduce the variety. They were not aware of the complications earlier. Now they are aware. Thanks to your comment. They said they’ll work on reducing the variety in aircraft and coordinate with Air Force and Army aviation also.
Hornet is a pretty nifty aircraft, but Us has a history of manipulating foreign policy with defense deals, where french rafale has a significant plus point.
@@danielh1708 India has a long history of defense dealing with france and russia, their stipulating mentality is "if you're not against us, you're with us". While the Usa's goes like "If you're not with us, you're against us". Massive difference According to most people.
@@off_grid_javelin Your opinion is irrelevant where it concerns your original post. What I stated was 100% fact. You are stating an opinion. Massive difference...according to most people....LoL
@@danielh1708 what most people says turns out to be fact, but I understand you're butt-hurt, Americans can't impose their "liberty" agendas everywhere, sadly for westerners, East knows their neo colonialism and white superiority mentality.
FA 18 is superior, better avionics, well proven product, can carry more missiles, cheaper, low maintenance cost, reliable engine, foldable wings.. which are not available in Rafale M. I hope Indian Navy will chose Hornet as they've been using Boeing products.
Ok who's gonna pay for all that. We may ahve the 3rd largest defence budget but it all goes the way of pensions and salaries. Our armed forces are the most bloated in terms of personnel. We don't even have money for acquisition forget R&D
America our friend offers us outdated fighter jets. We are the only country that is looking to purchase fighter for aircraft carrier there are only 4 countries in the world that operates aircraft carriers and they show us updated f16s
Wow😂😂😂!!Thats a very less operational cost!!! just 60 personnel's to support a single F18 demonstration!!!!.Thats the exact reason y they need to rethink about the purchase.
@@deepjyotiray8797 yep took 33 years to build the damn Tejas scuttled the good HF 24 marut programme that setback our aerospace industry by decades and now the agency that builds stuff a full generation behind is going to build a carrier aircraft. Not happening
I am not sure this is something US should share with India. Given India's geopolitical alignment. India is way, way too close to Russia for US's comfort. I am willing to consider this, provided that substantial avionics are not part of the package. Base airframe and suppourt equipment , I am OK with. But radar, mission computer, IFF, secure communication , and major weapons bus, should be Indian sourced. I am on fence on F414 powerplant, but since F414 is sourced for Tejas, same version can be exported in Indian F/A-18E/F. Selling something as advanced as late Block SuperHornets to India just to smack Russians in the face, by India's retirement of Mig-29K, or to compete with French RafaleM, is not wise policy. IMHO. But I do not have all the details.
Would the US allow India to seamlessly integrate Indian sub components and weapons on to the Super hornet ? The answer is NO. Then offer American Radars, IFF and weapons. The French will definitely offer thse to the Indians. The Indians have already bought the land version of Rafale. Also the Indians hate too many restrictions and poking.
@@HA-rn2iu No, it is already decided. Indian navy this time has decided to buy Rafael Marines over F18 Super hornet. French President is coming to India this year too.. to sign in of India buying 2 or maybe 3 squadrons of Marine Rafaels.