The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter jet has distinct advantages in terms of capability over the competitor French Rafale-M jet to operate from the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers, said a senior official from aircraft manufacturer Boeing. India is also negotiating the purchase of additional Chinook CH-47F(I) Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, according to Torbjorn (Turbo) Sjogren, vice president, International Government and Defence, Boeing.
“One thing we’re very confident about is the capability that readiness and the proficiency of the product. The F/A-18 and F/A-18F can operate off Indian aircraft carriers. That’s a clear discriminator we’ve got over the French,” Mr. Turbo said in a virtual interview to The Hindu, pointing that the twin seater trainer variant of the Rafale-M cannot operate from carriers and would be sitting on the ground. The number of trainer aircraft within the deal is not an insignificant number, he noted.
Elaborating, he said the size of the carrier, the logistics of the aircraft, in terms of how many aircraft and how to move the aircraft around the carrier, there are challenges. “We have solved that problem. Our team down in Bangalore solved the problem, and we have a solution for that... So there is some tailoring needed, more so in terms of the logistics on board,” Mr. Turbo said.
