Swarm drones across domains hosted by motherships will be the future of naval operations according to a top official of Russia’s Rubin Design Bureau, which unveiled new uncrewed submersible concepts at the Army 2024 defence exhibition in Moscow in August.
Saurabh Joshi explains why the Indian Navy’s fighter contest is expected to be cut short, with the aircraft being selected by default in a walkover next month.
Japan has asked for 63 conventional F-35A & 42 F-35B Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing aircraft, and also plans to build its own stealth fighter by 2031.
The Indian Navy has issued a Request For Information (RFI) for 57 Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF) with the ability to operate from both STOBAR and CATOBAR aircraft carriers.
“Unfortunately the LCA has not been able to meet the carrier capability required. So that is why we need an alternate aircraft now,” said navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba.
Boeing, Saab and Lockheed Martin are offering to build fighters in India and each is bringing something different to the table.
General Atomics was present at DefExpo for the first time. But it wasn’t about the Predator or Reaper drones. Hint: It’s to do with aircraft carriers.
The Trikand is the 2nd-last foreign surface ship acquisition by the Indian Navy. The induction of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (nee Admiral Gorshkov) will be the last surface ship acquired by the Indian Navy from abroad.
In hindsight, some officials are relieved that the boiler problems with the Gorshkov came up at this time, and not at a stage after the Indian Navy took charge of it.
While privately, Indian Navy officials admit that the December-handover now seems unlikely, they also clarify that the required repairs should not ordinarily take more than a month or so.
Interestingly, the fighters involved will include a Russian MiG-29K and a MiG-35 prototype, which was part of the Indian Air Force tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).
French warship builder DCNS will display the Scorpene submarine design at DefExpo 2012 in New Delhi, six of which are under construction for the Indian Navy at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
Minister of State for Defense, Mallipudi Mangapati Pallam Raju, accompanied by the deputy chief of the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Satish Soni, asked the Bell Boeing V-22 Tiltrotor Team for a briefing on the aircraft.
Antony expressed India’s concern at the tardy progress made in the design and development of the Multi-Role Transport Aircraft (MTA). Both countries will now meet again later this month to speed up work on the project.
The first sea trials of the INS Vikramaditya, the erstwhile Russian carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, have been postponed by five months. Russian website RUSNAVY.com reports that the sortie, which was earlier scheduled for the end of this year, is now being planned for May 2012.
