The Lockheed-Martin F-35 has popped up in what the Indian Navy says is an official impression of India’s indigenous aircraft carrier, currently under construction in Kochi. Bit of a boo-boo though — the picture above is not India’s under-construction carrier, it’s actually the Royal Navy’s CVF (thanks Tim, for pointing that out!). Here’s the Indian Navy’s document [PDF] on aircraft carriers that has the lifted image above — and here’s the original source image. Don’t know why the Navy had to use this image when it has some pretty impressive artwork of its own.
Boo-boo aside, does this say anything about how hot the Indian Navy is for the F-35? The platform’s B and C variants have been pitched to the Navy in response to an RFI earlier this year. Other aircraft on offer are navalised variants of the Gripen and Eurofighter, and the F/A-18E/F. An earlier impression of the carrier featured Boeing F-15s operating from the ship’s flight deck.
nicely spotted shiv. i think the F35 would be ideal as IN's future fighter.
If anything, the F-35B should be avoided at all costs. Not only is it underpowered and overweight, but its internal fuel capacity gives it a very, very short range.
The Gripen would appear to be the best option among the 4 aircraft on offer, but that is just what I think.
Read this : No F-35 for India
http://www.stratpost.com/no-f-35-for-india
You forget Rafale-M as a potential contender – existing and combat proven, exactly as the F/A-18 E/F is. As far as naval versions of Gripen or Typhoon are concerned, I will believe they exist when they become a bit more than a picture ! By the way, not so easy to transform an Air Force bird into Navy one…
true IN should not go for F-35 rather it should opt for F/A -18 .I guess F/A 18 is better than F-35,only thing f-35 has is stealth .but F/A – 18 is better one.I no expert in fighters ,what am saying is the R&D done in Google only .I may be wrong.
It simply means that artists don't have a clue about real world ! Navalised F-15, ah ah ah !
Regarding the impression of the IAC – Double Facepalm.
Regarding the F35 – I don't know what the bloke at Broad Sword is on about, but i think its an extremely over hyped aircraft.
In trying to fit in the requirements of the Navy, Air force & the Army into one aircraft, you may end up with something thats specializes in neither.
Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher
India Army fires Rockets at Pakistani posts in Kargil war Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmmQOO6-QsE&feature=related
any update on Pinaka 120Km ????
its not iac ,its the one which brits are building.Shiv i thin you got confused
Shiv that is not IAC but Queen Elizabeth class carrier for Royal navy!!!
F35 is possibly the only AC that has VSTOL capability (Sea Harriers are being retired). In modern warfare 1st casualty will be the runways and A/Cs with even STOL need runways.
F35Bs can be a potent weapon not only for Navy but also for Army/IAF in Indo China border where scope for runways is limited. Here a VTOL AC will literally make China think several times if it is aware of stealth fighters waiting for it's jets just across the border.
Our AWACS cannot fly 24X7. Hence getting advanced warning to scramble Su30s or MMRCAs to intercept Chinese jets may not be possible. Chinese may very well spring a surprise on us as they did in 1962. But, placing F35Bs near the Indo China border may thwart China's attempt to surprise us.
This is embarrassing.
The fact that Indian artists consistently (and unnecessarily) depict foreign equipment in artwork for the Indian military is a disgrace. (For instance, does anyone remember the F-18 in the original poster for Aero India 2011?)
Why not the N-LCA? It's Indian, and the Indian Navy has already committed to buying it.
true.
F35Bs can be only potent aircraft in our inventory that can challange j-xx in himalayas in near future .if chinis got su-35bm than its a must .i think.
F-35 can be of some use against Chini bridges in Tibet and paki nuke stations. They may not be much useful in the oceans where any a/c has the capacity to fly low.
Shiv, I am very unhappy that you selectively omitted my comment that stated clearly and truthfully that what you were showing as an 'official' impression of the IAC was nothing more than an old CGI of the British CVF aircraft carrier. What's the matter? You can allow people to sling the vilest insults uncensored but you can't take the slightest bit of criticism?
Come on, that pic is a farce!
Gautam: Didn't see your last comment, so no question of ignoring you! Do read the full post. A correction came through on Twitter, after which I updated the post. Thanks, though.
It makes sense to buy 2-3 squadrons (at the very least) of F-35 B/C's (especially B's) for the Indian Navy. Once the SHAR's are pensioned off, there will be a big operational gap which can only be filled by another STOVL a/c. The Mig 29 K's and N LCA's could augment this core group of F-35's. Frankly, I don't see any alternative to the F-35 B/C's for the IN. The Rafale-M doesn't compare in performance and would in essence have a role which will already be adequately filled by the Mig 29 K's and the N LCA. The Sea Gripen is essentially a paper plane. Granted, there will be wails of "Trojan Horses" and "kill switches" from the usual quarters, but then dogma and sci-fi physics needs to take a back seat to operational reality and necessity!
Why not just get aircraft carriers with catapault system?
This type of launching ability has less strees on the aircraft and allow longer patrol as well as higher payload as catapault launches the plane and less thrust from engines means more fuel to stay aloft.
Indian carriers, the old ones used to have catapaults, why not go back to them, and then buy a suitable plane?
The british wanted a STOVL f-35 but decided against this because of lack of range, this was also the problem with the harrier.
Also, why does india not take apart some of those planes sitting on its feilds and copy the best attributes of them?