US Navy demonstrates Super Hornet ski-jump in India
On Friday 20 May 2022, two US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets arrived at INS Hansa (Goa/Dabolim) to showcase their ski-jump from the shore-based test facility (SBTF) and project their capabilities to operate from Bharatiya Nau Sena (Indian Navy) aircraft carriers. Both Super Hornets were borrowed by Boeing from the US Navy.
The Indian Naval Air Arm is evaluating its new fighter options. In the Multi-Role Carrier-Borne Fighter (MRCBF) programme two competitors are left, the Dassault Rafale M and the F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornet. Early January 2022, Scramble Magazine reported on a similar trip to the SBTF by the Dassault Rafale M.
Although India’s initial plan was to buy 57 deck-based fighters, it was revised after the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) substantially improved the Light Combat Aircraft Navy (LCA-Navy).
Following the trials, the performance of the Super Hornet and the Rafale M would be compared and evaluated by the Indian Navy before a decision is taken to buy 26 jets in a government-to-government contract for India’s two aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya and the upcoming INS Vikrant. Sources said the Indian Navy was looking for a stop-gap arrangement with two squadrons of imported jets, which would fly for the next 10-15 years before the LCA-Navy could be ready for induction by the middle of the next decade.
Earlier, Boeing demonstrated that the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is able to operate from a ski-jump ramp. These demonstrations, held at NAS Patuxent River (MD) in December 2020, showed a F/A-18E Super Hornet of Air Test and Evaluation squadron (VX) 23 Salty Dogs / Strike ('SD-xxx') during a short take-off and but arrested recovery (STOBAR) system, validating earlier simulation studies by Boeing.
The two Super Hornets were flown via Lajes to INS Hansa. The fighters were accompanied by Omega Air DC-10-40 N974VV. The following Super Hornets were seen at Lajes:
Besides the ski-jump, Boeing executives will also be briefing Indian Navy officers about the aircraft’s capabilities, specially vis-à-vis Rafale. The fighters will perform ski-jump take-off with and without a payload. The payload will include two dummy Harpoon missiles.
Photos by João Toste Aviation Photography