Indian Navy Issues RFI to procure 57 Carrier-Borne Fighter Jets

Indian Navy Issues RFI to procure 57 Carrier-Borne Fighter Jets (वाहक जनित लड़ाकू जेट)

According to IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly, the Indian Navy has officially issued a Request for Information (RFI) on January 17, 2017 to procure new carrier-based multirole warplane. The Navy intends to procure 57 naval fighter aircraft from a foreign supplier for its rapidly growing fleet of

aircraft carriers. The government also wants to manufacture these planes in India under Indian Prime Minister’s Modi’s Make in India initiative and tender has asked the original equipment manufacturers to respond to it. Responses are due by May 24, 2017. Delivery of the first aircraft is expected to begin three years following the inking of a contract and completed within three additional years.The three likely contenders for the contract are Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, a naval version of the Dassault Rafale, and the Russian-made MiG-29K Fulcrum fighter jet.The details of aircraft in RFI includes: capable of operations during day and night in all weather conditions, suitable for shipborne air defense, air-to-surface, ‘buddy-buddy’ aerial refueling, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and other unspecified roles.

Currently, six planes are compatible for aircraft carrier flying. They are Rafale (Dassault, France), F-18 Super Hornet (Boeing, US), MIG-29K (Russia), F-35B and F-35C (Lockheed Martin, US) and Gripen (Saab, Sweden). While F-18, Rafale and MIG-29K are twin engine jets, the remaining three have single engine.

The Indian Navy will not deploy a naval version of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Light Combat Aircraft Tejas aboard its new class of aircraft carriers due to its heavy weight.

Definitions of warplane

noun

an airplane designed and equipped to engage in air combat or to drop bombs.