Back to news

January 13, 2020 | International, Naval

Indian Navy hits a major milestone with a home-grown experimental jet

By: David B. Larter

WASHINGTON – The Indian Navy hit a major milestone in its quest for a home-grown carrier-based fighter aircraft, the military's research and development wing announced Saturday.

A prototype of a naval version of India's Tejas light combat aircraft performed an arrested landing on board the carrier Vikramaditya in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation announced on Twitter.

“After completing extensive trials on the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF), Naval version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) did a successful arrested landing onboard INS Vikramaditya at 1002 hrs today,” DRDO said in a press release.

India's defense minister took to Twitter to hail the step forward in India's goal of developing more of its fighter technology in country.

“Extremely happy to learn of the maiden landing of DRDO developed LCA Navy on INS Vikramaditya,” Rajnath Singh tweeted. “This successful landing is a great event in the history of Indian Fighter aircraft development programme.”

While the Tejas is a single-engine fighter, the Navy is looking to develop a twin-egine carrier-based fighter to field in the 2030s.

The Indian Navy has an ongoing competition for 57 carrier-based fighters, with Boeing's F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet being among the competitors.

The Indian Navy operates the MiG-29K Fulcrum, but has been generally unhappy with its ability to stand up to the rigors of carrier-based aviation, Defense News reported in 2017.

“We (Indian Navy) want the MiG-29K aircraft to be ruggedized to carry out operations because landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier is almost like a hard landing and the fighter aircraft needs frequent maintenance,” a Navy official told Defense News.

“There are frequent structural defects due to deck landing,” the official added.

However, Anastasia Kravchenkov, a representative of Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, said in official correspondence: “Neither we, nor our partners have received any official claims about operational problems with the Russian MiG aircrafts.”

The Indian Navy has made subsequent statements that it has worked out its maintenance and spare parts issues.

The MiG-29K is among the competitors for the ongoing competition, along with Saab, which is pitching joint development of a Sea Gripen. Dassault is reportedly offering its Rafale M fighter.

Defense News contributor Vivek Raghuvanshi contributed to this report.

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/01/11/indian-navy-hits-a-major-milestone-with-a-home-grown-experimental-jet

On the same subject

  • Army signs $87 million deal for latest tank killer

    October 16, 2020 | International, Land, Security

    Army signs $87 million deal for latest tank killer

    Mike Glenn The Army signed an $87 million deal with Saab to arm its soldiers with the latest version of the Swedish manufacturing company's powerful 84mm bunker-busting, Carl-Gustaf anti-tank weapon. The seven-year contract calls for Saab to provide an indefinite number of the shoulder-fired weapons, designated as M3E1, to the military. They will be used by the Army, Marine Corps and elements of U.S. Special Operations Command, company officials said. “The lightweight and effective recoilless rifle ensures readiness on the modern battlefield with multi-role capabilities through a wide array of munitions,” Erik Smith, president and CEO of Saab in the U.S., said in a statement. The latest version of the Carl-Gustaf is 28 percent lighter than its predecessor. The system has been popular with U.S. troops as a combined anti-tank, anti-personnel weapon system since it was first fielded in the late 1980s. The Army decided it would acquire the latest version in 2018. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/oct/15/army-signs-87-million-deal-latest-tank-killer/

  • Japan Details 2019-23 Defense Plan Costs

    January 15, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Japan Details 2019-23 Defense Plan Costs

    SYDNEY—Nine Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft that Japan plans to buy over the coming five fiscal years will cost an average of ¥26.2 billion ($242 million) each, the defense ministry estimates. The figure compares with the $223 million that the U.S. Navy paid for each of five E-2Ds ordered in fiscal 2018. Four Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers will cost an average of ¥24.9 billion ($229 million) each, the ministry said in a document summarizing the expense of equipment included in an acquisition plan for fiscal 2019-23. The U.S. Air Force is paying a unit price of $201 million for Pegasus tankers in fiscal 2019. Full article: http://aviationweek.com/defense/japan-details-2019-23-defense-plan-costs

  • The case for a defense budget that focuses more on China, less on climate change

    June 23, 2021 | International, Land

    The case for a defense budget that focuses more on China, less on climate change

    Two House Republican leaders argue that with the Pentagon's new budget request, you can almost hear the laughter of the United States' adversaries.

All news