DEFENCE
DEFENCE
ARMAMENTS
With India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC 1) set to be commissioned as INS Vikrant in August 2022, the Indian Navy will conduct flight trials of the naval version of the Rafale fighter, Rafale-Maritime or Rafale M.
The trials will take place at Indias’ shore-based test facility at INS Hansa in Goa from January 6 onwards as part of the exercise to identify the best warplane suited for the 40,000-tonne carrier.
The IAC-1 is based at the Cochin shipyard and is currently undergoing sea trials in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
The Rafale-M fighter will be pushed through an intensive trial at the 283-metre mock-up ski jump facility at INS Hansa for about 12 days. The Rafale M is also the principal weapon system for the Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier, the flagship of the French Navy.
Also read: USA – INDIA | The “Hybrid” F-21 Fighter Jet – VIDEO
The fighter has also shown its interoperability with US aircraft carriers going back to 2008. India already has a maintenance and flight training facility for the Rafale fighters used by the Indian Air Force at its Ambala air base.
The Indian Navy is also planning to test the American F-18 Hornet fighter at the same facility around March as an alternative option to the Rafale-M. The Boeing F-18 is a proven carrier-based multi-role fighter for the US Navy and has performed strike operations going back to 1991 Gulf War.
While the Indian Navy operates two squadrons of the MiG-29K on board its sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, the Russian aircraft have been facing issues of maintenance and spare parts availability.
The decision on which fighter will be chosen will be based on the flight trials, but naval aviation experts pointed out that the Rafale-M is lighter and smaller in airframe to F-18 and packs more power than its American counterpart in terms of the range of its air-to-air and air-to-land missiles.
They also suggested that IAC-1 may require structural modifications to cart F-18 from hangar to flight deck due to its comparatively larger airframe.
The IAC-1 is expected to be commissioned as INS Vikrant on August 15, 2022 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
With information from: IDRW
Also read: Rafale – A Force Multiplier for HAF and the Integrated Defence Doctrine | Infographics
ARMAMENTS
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
Dassault Aviation | UCAV program kicks off as part of the Rafale F5 future standard
Today, Sébastien Lecornu, France’s Minister of Defence, announced the development launch of an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle…
France | Delivery of Mirage 2000-5 to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025
The Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets that Paris expects to give to Ukraine will be delivered in the first quarter of 2025, after the aircraft…
Cyprus | SPIKE LR2 missiles for the first time at the Independence Day Military Parade
For the first time this year, a SPIKE LR2 anti-tank platoon of the EuroSpike consortium is parading mounted on ENOK A.B. vehicles…
Iran | Ban on pagers and radios inside flights
Iran has banned passengers on all flights from carrying pagers and portable radios in the wake of attacks last month in which such…
Albania | EU accession negotiations begin – Skopje on hold
The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU Member States (Coreper) adopted the Union’s common position for the start of…
Cypriot Issue | On October 15 the New York tripartite
On October 15, the “informal dinner” between the president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, the Turkish…
Hungary | Police officers teach students to avoid cyber scams
Every year, more and more money is extorted from Hungarians online through fraud, putting almost all users at risk.
Military Schools | Measures to increase admissions
The Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, and the Minister of Education, Religion, and Sports, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, announced…
DECC | Supporting Defence Professionals across Europe
In an era of increased mobility and international cooperation, defence professionals face unique financial challenges, often…