The first prototype of the twin engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF) could make its maiden flight by 2026 and be ready for production by 2031, said Girish S Deodhare, director general, Aeronautical Development Agency. The navy is looking at importing a new deck-based fighter as an interim measure to meet its requirements before the indigenous TEDBF is ready. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will produce the new fighter at the rate of eight aircraft per year, the officials said.

The French Rafale M fighter has edged out the American F/A-18 Super Hornet in a direct competition to equip the navy with 26 new deck-based fighters for INS Vikrant, the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier. The navy currently has two aircraft carriers – INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.

The TEDBF will match the capabilities of Rafale M and F/A-18 Super Hornet, Deodhare said. The Rafale is manufactured by Dassault Aviation while the Super Hornet is a Boeing product.

“The expertise gained in developing the light combat aircraft (navy) will come in handy for the TEDBF project. It’s currently in the preliminary design stage and should move forward quickly. The wing folding design mechanism (to ensure the plane takes minimum space on an aircraft carrier) has been finalised,” Deodhare said.

To be sure, LCA (navy) is only a technology demonstrator but it showcases that India has developed niche technologies specific to deck-based fighter operations, and it will pave the way to develop and manufacture the TEDBF.

Before the show began, the LCA (navy) landed and took off from INS Vikrant for the first time. Two LCA (navy) prototypes are currently operating from the aircraft carrier as part of ongoing flight trials. Vikrant was commissioned into the navy last September, marking a pivotal point in the country’s quest for self-reliance in the defence sector. The flight trials on board INS Vikrant also involve the Russian-origin MiG-29K fighter jets that use the ski-jump to takeoff and are recovered by arrestor wires or what is known as STOBAR (short takeoff but arrested recovery) in navy parlance.

INS Vikramaditya also operates MiG-29K fighters. LCA (navy) landed and took off from Vikramaditya for the first time in August 2020.

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The Super Hornets are US-made while the Rafale is manufactured by France. The Navy needs 26 jets for the two aircraft carriers — INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.

The Navy has carried out trials of both the aircraft from its shore-based facility, INS Hansa in Goa, which is a replica of an aircraft carrier deck.

“The trial team submitted its report to the Naval headquarters recently after carrying out extensive trials at its Goa-based facility. The evaluation process is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed very soon,” top government sources told India Today TV.

The two contenders in the tender have given extensive details of their planes to the Navy and all the issues would be taken into consideration before arriving at the plane to be shortlisted for the carrier-based operations, they said.

The jets are required for operations on the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier as the MiG-29s are found to be sufficient only for the operational readiness requirements of the first aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, the sources added.

INS Vikrant is without an element of fighter aircraft as trials are supposed to be conducted by the end of this year. The Navy earlier required 57 planes for operations on both the carriers, but the requirement was cut short by more than half in support of indigenous planes.

The Navy is looking at getting the 26 aircraft within three years of the order being placed. Out of the 26, the Navy wants eight two-seaters for training purposes. However, the Rafale is a single-seater, while the Super Hornet comes in both configurations.

One advantage that the Super Hornet has over the Rafale is the foldable wings, which reduce its wing span from 44 feet to 30 feet, making it more flexible to be accommodated. The Super Hornet can carry four anti-ship missiles compared to one on the Rafale. The Super Hornet with a maximum take off weight is 29,900 kg, while the Rafale is 24,500 kg.

Sources said once the Navy zeroes in on the choice, it will likely be a government-to-government deal like the one for getting 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force.

The navy is looking at an aircraft that can operate from both STOBAR (Short take off- but arrested recovery) and CATOBAR (Catapult Take-off but arrested recovery) aircraft carriers. The STOBAR carriers come with a ski-jump ramp while the CATOBARs are flat deck. Indian Navy’s two carriers INS Vikramaditya and newly inducted INS Vikrant are both STOBAR carriers. The third carrier under planning is likely to be a CATOBAR and keeping that in mind, the navy’s requirement is to have a fighter jet that can operate from both, as the current MiG 29s are limited to the two STOBAR carriers of the Indian Navy.

A CATOBAR carrier can have a bigger impact as it increases range, has more weapons and can operate a variety of aircraft.

Super Hornet and Rafale are suited for CATOBAR carriers but the tests that have taken place are from the navy’s shore-based facility in Goa that has a ski-jump and is identical to the two aircraft carriers India has.

The original Navy plan was to buy 57 fighters but there have been delays. Sources said now the navy is speeding up the process for the critical acquisition of at least 26 aircraft. The Navy currently has a fleet of 40 plus MiG 29 K aircraft but will need replacement at some point of time. With 18-20 aircraft operating from each carrier if a third one indeed gets a go-ahead surely more fighters would be needed. In the Indian Navy’s plans is a third carrier, even though it might be a distant dream as of now. The MiG 29 Ks were inducted in 2010 and the first squadron commissioned in 2013 to operate from INS Vikramaditya.

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The competition to initially supply 26 jets (18 single seaters and eight twin-seat trainers) to the Indian Navy is being processed under a government-to-government mode, with requests for an operational demonstration sent to the US and French embassies.

The French Rafale M has already conducted a series of trials at the Shore Based Test Facility in Goa and the US F/A 18 Super Hornet will follow suit, with its developers saying that all issues with the aircraft, including the ability to lower it into the hangar of the Indian aircraft carrier, have been resolved.

“Boeing has developed a capability specifically for the F/A-18 Super Hornet that will allow for the faster movement of the aircraft between the flight deck and hangar deck without having to remove or modify any part of the aircraft,” said Surendra Ahuja, managing director, Boeing Defense India.

Ahuja, a former Indian Navy test pilot who retired at the rank of rear admiral, added that the fighter will be able to fit the elevator onboard Indian carriers – a critical requirement for the navy as the current design is suited for smaller aircraft like the MiG 29Ks that are in service. “This capability is compatible with the current elevator configuration aboard Indian aircraft carriers,” he said.

The French side has also resolved the problem, with a solution that requires removing a part of the wing of the Rafale before it can fit the carrier elevator. It is important to move carrier-borne jets into the hangar for maintenance works as well as to create space for other equipment and aircraft on the flight deck.

The US side says that it has also shared data collected during a shore-based test of the F/A Super Hornet from a ski jump conducted in December 2020 with the Indian Navy. “This extensive data has been utilised to model the performance to demonstrate the ability of the Super Hornet to meet or exceed Indian Navy ski jump requirements ahead of Super Hornet’s operational demonstration that will be conducted in Goa within the next few months,” said Alain Garcia, vice president, Boeing Defense.

The Indian Navy currently relies on the Russian-origin MiG 29K fighter jets that can take off from the ski jump flight deck of the INS Vikramaditya as well as the under tests aircraft carrier Vikrant. The new fighter requirement is for the Vikrant but aircraft available globally are designed to fly with a catapult-assisted launch system. The ski jump tests being conducted in Goa will determine if these aircraft can be suitable for the Indian Navy requirements.

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