Why are 2 American F/A-18 Super Hornets in Goa?
First Published May 24, 2022, 9:05 AM ISTThe Super Hornets have arrived just months after French-origin fighter aircraft Rafale-M made a similar landing.
The Super Hornets have arrived just months after French-origin fighter aircraft Rafale-M made a similar landing.
Months after French-origin fighter aircraft Rafale-M carried out successful trials on the Indian Navy's shore-based test facility (SBTF), two US-made Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets landed on Monday in Goa to make their bid.
"The objective is to display compatibility and suitability of the aircraft to operate from the Indian aircraft carrier," a source in the Indian Navy said.
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As per the source, the display and trials would be completed by June first week.
Rafale-M had carried out trials in January this year. It should be mentioned that the French-made aircraft operate from the French Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle while the F/A 18 Super Hornets operate from US Navy's carriers like USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagon.
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At Goa-based SBTF, the fighter jets can make a ski-jump for take-offs and arresting gear cable for arrested landing.
Currently, India has only one aircraft carrier in its fleet. The second, the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), has entered an advanced phase and is currently carrying out sea trials. It would be commissioned into the Indian Navy later this year.
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