F/A-18 Fighter is IAF's best bet: US Neavy

The race for a $10 billion Indian order for 126 fighters just got hotter with the US Navy enthusiastically batting for the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet

California: The race for a $10 billion Indian order for 126 fighters just got hotter with the US Navy enthusiastically batting for the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, saying it was best suited for an Indian Air Force (IAF) requirement for a multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA)."The F/A-18 has delivered on all that it promised to do - and more. We are sure it will do the same for you," Captain Hal Murdoch, commander of the Strike Fighter Wing of the US Pacific Fleet, told a group of visiting Indian journalists in California on Thursday. "Your air force operates the Sukhoi -30 and this is a formidable aircraft. Without meaning any disrespect, I submit to you that the F/A-18 is ahead in its ability to manoeuvre," added Commander Greg Harris, the squadron's commanding officer.

The F/A-18 is one of the six jets in the fray for the IAF order, which is likely to go up to 200 aircraft. The bids submitted by the six manufacturers were submitted last week and these will now be evaluated over the next three years before the winner is selected. The US Lockheed Martin F-16, the French Rafale, the Swedish Grippen, the Russian MiG-23 and the Eurofighter Typhoon that is manufactured by a four-nation European conglomerate are the other aircraft in the fray.

"The US Navy's support to the Super Hornet has been demonstrated successfully and can be tailored specifically for India," Harris added. Should the Super Hornet be selected, he said, the initial batch of IAF pilots and technicians would be trained on the US Navy's simulators at Lemoore and brought up to levels that would enable them train their colleagues in India."This training would be jointly conducted by Boeing and the US Navy and the cost of this had been factored into the tender that had been submitted by the manufacturer in response to the IAF's request for proposal," Harris added.

The IAF desperately needs new aircraft to replace it fast depleting fleet of Soviet-era MiG jets of various variants, principally the MiG-21. This has seen IAF force levels plummeting to an alarming 30 squadrons from a peak of 39 1/2 - against a sanctioned strength of 45 squadrons.

At one time, it was thought that the indigenously developed Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) would fill the void. However, time and cost overruns in this project had prompted the IAF to issue a request for information (RFI) in 2003 for the MRCAs. The Tejas is likely to be inducted into squadron service only around 2012 - around the time the MRCAs that win the IAF order are likely to start arriving. At the same time, there are indications that the IAF is not too happy with the Tejas and may induct only two squadrons of the aircraft.(IANS)

Add to: del.icio.us Digg Technorati