Roop wrote:Does anyone know the dates/durations of the trials for proving the ability of F-18E/F to take-off/land on the SBTF in Goa?
Also, any news about how Rafale trials went?
Supposed to come this month. Might be delayed due to the situation in Ukraine, but that is my guess. But it will be still on. I would be surprised if the F-18 did not come for the trials. That would make no sense whatsoever. The next 2+2 meet is in April and is expected to feature discussions on how to further strengthen the Indo-US defence relationship. The F-18 (and the MRFA contest) will be part of that discussion. There is a big push from the GOTUS to adopt the F-21. That decision lies in the hands of the IAF and not the GOI.
The Rafale trials went well from all media reports to date. There are photographs - in the Vikrant thread - of a Rafale M (with Mica missiles + one Exocet) taking off from the SBTF in Goa. So while the Rafale M took off, I doubt photographs are a yardstick to measure success or failure of operating from a ski jump with such a payload. The real data will be in the hands of the Indian Navy and Dassault and neither will share the data of these trials, due to the ongoing competition. When the F-18 completes her trials, the same rules will apply. Those details will likely never be made public, even after the final decision is announced to both companies.
Once the F-18 trials are over, then it will be left up to to the Indian Navy to decide which is the better platform of the two. Cost will be just one of many factors that will come into play in the final decision. If there is a push for a MROU facility from the Indian side - as was reported in the media recently - for the Rafale, then that will be a significant advantage for Dassault. To paraphrase a line from Saab's marketing team ---> a combat aircraft is only useful, when she is in the air. A facility of that nature will be a game changer. No point in any fighter (as the Navy's current MiG-29K/KUB fleet is illustrating) if she will only be a hangar queen.
Lockheed Martin is pushing for a similar MROU facility with the F-21 for the IAF. That facility will also service the global F-16 fleet. Pakistan will obviously be the outlier and will continue to be serviced from the US and perhaps Turkey, as the latter was involved in the upgrade of their early model F-16 fleet. Boeing will also offer something similar if it wins the Navy contest and the IAF contest (with their F-15EX). Interesting times ahead.