The modernisation of Indian naval aviation is gaining momentum
Atul Chandra
The long overdue modernisation of Indian naval aviation is now gaining momentum with the service slated to induct modern fighter aircraft, maritime patrol assets and Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones. This momentum could not have come a moment too soon, with the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) accelerating its induction of ever more modern homegrown naval air assets.
New Wings
Dassault Aviation edged out Boeing earlier this year, to have its Rafale M (Marine) selected instead of the F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornet to meet the navy’s requirement for 26 Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF). In July, this year, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which is headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and logistic support for the Indian Navy from the French Government based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA).
In October, the news agency ANI stated that the ministry of defence (MoD) had given a letter of request (LOR) to the French government for the procurement of 26 Rafale Ms to be finalised in a government-to-government deal. The navy will purchase 22 Rafale M single-seaters and four Rafale M twin-seaters.
The ANI report also stated that India had requested for the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) developed Astra Beyond-Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) to be integrated on the Rafale M. The MoD has also stated that integration of Indian-designed equipment and establishment of a maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) hub for various systems would be incorporated into the Rafale M contract after negotiations.
India is the first export customer for the Rafale M, which in its original F1 standard featured only air-to-air capabilities and became operational with the French Navy from its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in 2004. The Rafale M is available only as a single seater for carrier operations. According to information posted on Dassault Aviation’s website, Air Force single-seat Rafale C and twin-seat Rafale B aircraft, share maximum airframe and equipment commonality and very similar mission capabilities with the navy single-seat Rafale M. All three variants share a common airframe and a common mission system with the differences being mainly limited to the undercarriage and to the arresting hook for Rafale M, as compared to Rafale B, C variants.
Dassault Aviation has also developed new advanced corrosion protection processes which help lower the maintenance cost of the Rafale and these were derived from its significant experience in corrosion protection for its own carrier-based aircraft (Super Etendard) and maritime patrol aircraft (Atlantic 1/ Atlantique 2). The Rafale M is also fitted with an On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS) which negates the need for liquid oxygen re-filling. Hence ground support equipment for the production and transportation of oxygen is no longer required, a major benefit in confined carrier environs.
For its future fighter aircraft requirements, the Indian Navy is eyeing the DRDO developed Twin-Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), which is now in the early stages of development at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). Despite not having an internal weapons bay and a less stealthy design, the design of a modern 4.5+ Gen carrier-borne fighter will have its own challenges.
This 26-tonne Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) medium weight carrier-borne aircraft is being developed to undertake air defence and maritime strike roles. The aircraft will have a moderate sweep delta wing configuration with canards and will have diverter-less supersonic intakes. The TEDBF is being designed to offer automatic ski-jump take-off and arrested landing on aircraft carriers. It will also feature folding wings for aircraft carrier operations. The aircraft is being designed to have a top speed of Mach 1.8 with a service ceiling of 55,000 feet. The TEDBF will have an external payload of 7.5 tonnes carried on 11 hardpoints, endurance of approximately two hours and a strike range that is greater than 400 nautical miles.
Russian Bolter
Indian Naval Aviation presently operates approximately 40 MiG 29K/KUB carrier-borne fighters, of which only half are thought to be operational currently. The Russian-built carrier-borne fighter has been in service for over a decade, with the Navy’s first frontline MiG-29K squadron commissioned in May 2013 at INS Hansa, Goa.
Five of the 45 MiG 29K/KUB aircraft ordered have been lost in just over a decade of operations. The service life of the MiG 29K/KUB aircraft is 6,000 hours or 25 years, which means they will be due for replacement or require an extension of their Total Technical Life (TTL) in 2038. The MiG-29K was a relatively inexpensive purchase; the first batch of 16 MiG 29K/KUB aircraft ordered in January 2004 cost USD 740.35 million (INR 3,568.49 crore at that time), while the follow-on order for 29 additional aircraft in March 2010 cost USD 1466.44 million (INR 6,840.94 crore at that time). In comparison, the procurement of 26 Rafale Ms and attendant support equipment, is expected to cost the equivalent of USD 6 billion.
Maritime Patrol
Indian Navy Boeing P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft are now operational at two naval airbases. Following the retirement of the navy’s long-serving IL-38SD (Sea Dragon) from service on October 31, the P-8Is are the only LRMR platforms in service. The Indian Navy was the first export customer for the P-8I and is the largest operator of the type, after the US Navy. The navy is now eyeing a follow-on order for six additional P-8Is.
The P-8I is used for maritime surveillance and strike, anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare (EW) missions, search and rescue (SAR), providing targeting data to weapon platforms and delivering time-critical surveillance information to the Army and Air Force.
The Indian Navy’s P-8I fleet has crossed over 40,000 flight hours since their induction in 2013 and all 12 aircraft that were ordered are now operational. The Navy’s first batch of eight P-8I aircraft acquired in 2013 is stationed at INS Rajali at Arakkonam in Kerala. The second batch of four additional aircraft is based with Indian Naval Air Squadron 316 at INS Hansa, which was commissioned into service in March 2022.
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