My question is this, should the Virant be prepped to come back into dock in the next couple of months to have arrestor cables and the optical landing system incorporated so that the Virant can go to sea with the Mig 29’s – in a limited number so we woudl have 6 SHARS and maybe 6 Migs on board? That way we have the pilots that were trained in the US maintaining their skills and India maintaining a credible Carrier.

I think you mean Viraat.

In short, I don’t think this is possible. The ship has just come off a refit and the Navy will be keen to keep her operational for the remainder of her life, rather than send her back for another refit.

Adding the optical landing system should be relatively easy, but modifying the ship to allow the MiG-29K to land would be a huge job. The structural modifications to take the loads would be non-trivial and one would also have to incorporate all the internal modifications to enable the MiG to be maintained and operated. None of these are trivial changes and the ship will have gone past her end-of-life before these changes could be implemented (and in India’s case, even planned or budgeted for!)

A 12 Harrier force is not optimal, but it will do for the next 6 years until the Vikrant and Vikramaditya get inducted into the force.

Wilk,

I know very little about naval strategy and tactics, so I’ll let the experts respond to you.

I would, however, like to make two short points:
1) No foe of the USN has anything quite like SURTASS. If they did, it would make the USN’s life much more complicated.
2) The following link about NORPAC-82 will answer many of your other questions regarding operating with EMCON http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-031.htm. I found it fascinating and surprising.

Cheers!

I make no claim about the efficacy or wisdom of using TVC in a knife fight. What I dispute (and what I highlighted in my post) is pfcem’s claim that the IAF figured out the advantages or disadvantages of TVC only after coming to Nellis and fighting the Americans and/or getting lectured by Youtube Terry.

That is complete BS. The IAF has operated the MKI for many years before Red Flag, and they have been put through the wringer in terms of doctrinal analysis, training, DACT, etc. by everyone from Air Staff and TACDE FCLs down to freshly minted airmen.

I can’t figure out how anyone can claim that the IAF didn’t know how to use their airplanes in a knifefight, especially with something as basic as to whether one should use TVC or not.

If it comes from Prasun Sengupta, don’t waste your time even looking at it, unless you are willing to spend many more hours trying to cross-check the “facts” (after which you will anyways conclude that there are none).

Even amongst the august company of Indian defense “journalists”, Prasun Sengupta stands as a unique figure. There is not enough salt in all the oceans to take with his defense reports.

He should change his name to “Brasun Sengupta” and then initial every article he writes.

Yeah, I’d like to to see people passionately clamoring for objectivity next time someone posts a quote by Dozer or Max. Somehow nationalistic fervor doesn’t seem to affect USAF pilots … only IAF ones.

USAF operates different versions of the F 15 which can do all the jobs a SH can apart from carrier based operations. I am sure that is the reason why they don’t operate the SH.

Rafale’s only advantage over SH is ToT but given the current political scenario you may yourself be surprised at the amount of ToT the Americans are willing to offer. The SH is also cheaper than the Rafale and the Eurofighter and like I have said manytimes, it can potentially share its engine with the LCA.

The MKI roughly plays the same role in the IAF as the F-15 does in the USAF.

Also keep in mind that the new MMRCA will probably have to be wired to accept and deliver the many munitions that are standard in the IAF fleet (R-73, R-77, etc.) as it is unlikely that the IAF will maintain a completely distinct supply chain of munitions for the MMRCA. How likely is that for an American aircraft?

IMO, people deeply overestimate the amount of ToT that the Americans will offer. Furthermore, the Americans have been very unreliable partners.

India will happily accept the 10%-15% avionics performance shortfall of choosing another aircraft from a more reliable partner who offers truly deep ToT and doesn’t demand intrusive base/equipment inspections, etc. etc.

While I do believe that it is important for India and America to work closer together in defence, the MMRCA is not the best place to start. A better model is to source American munitions and integrate them into our fleet (e.g., JDAM, JSOW, etc.), build a level of mutual understanding and trust, and work our way up from there.

I believe India would like the MMRCA to be Carrier Compatible.

How did you figure that?

The MMRCA is for the Air Force. There is no reason for those land lubbers to lug around (and hence pay the performance costs of) a beefed up structure, landing gear, marinized doodads, etc.

In fact that alone should preclude the SH from being selected for the MMRCA. 🙂