The_Sidewinder
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why not on LCA Mk2 / NLCA ?
also if they are able to takeoff and land with 5.5-6tonnes then why not
why only carrier based ?
why not look at the map of IOR
with navy progressively taking over responsibility for coastal defence in southern india, Andaman & Lakshwadweep ?
the southern india, Andaman & Lakshwadweep are large stationary aircraft carriers - NO?
+ consider Naval bases with airstirps all along the coast
starts with jamnagar, porbunder, junagadh in gujarat + Baroda
Mumbai
Goa (INS HANSA)
Karwar
Sulur
Lakshwadweep
Andamans
Vizag,
+ 1 eastern base coming up
think
Range (combat radius) of LCA Mk2 / NCLA - 600 km + 300 km range of Brahmos Mini lets condier 750 Km total range
most of the immideate IOR falls under this range of 750Km with low cost light fighter
I guess you have read Sancho's posts. Its hardly about maximum take of & landing bro. If you haven't, read them below.
LCA will carry not a single Brahmos, no matter in which version. The centerline can't carry such long loads, the wingstations doesn't have the weight limit, nor does it make any sense to use such heavy loads with a single centerline fuel tank on a light class fighter. We shouldn't make LCA better or more important than it is, there is no need for it to carry heavy loads when you have so many bigger fighters in the fleet. Even in the navy, it will be the Mig 29K that is aimed to carry larger missile, but if that's possible from a STOBAR carrier needs to be seen though.
Because IAF doesn't have this capability at all so far. The longest range weapon is the Kh 59, but other than that we hardly have credible stand off range weapons in the pack so far. It's disappointing if we didn't add Scalp for the upgraded M2Ks, we badly need CM strike capabilities.
First of all it's DRDO that develops the LCA not HAL. Secondly, it's not about if LCA should carry such a missile, but if it's possible to carry and operate it. Even the Brahmos M is simply too boig for LCA and operating N-LCA from a STOBAR carrier will add more than enough operational limitations, even with lighter loads. N-LCA might carry only a single anti ship missile (like Kh35, or Harpoon) with 2 fuel tanks to useful ranges, or 2 missiles with just a single fuel tank to short ranges.
I even doubt so far that the Mig 29K will be able to take off and land with 2 x Brahmos M from a carrier, so lets not dream about LCA with even less thrust and capability.
As I said, more interesting than what happens with N-LCA is, how capable the Mig 29K will be and if it will be able to take off and land with such loads.
N-LCA itself is mainly a paper plane at the moment, since it's dependent on the MK2 changes that are not even developed yet. So dreaming about Brahmos for it, before we even know how the final specs of the Air Force based MK2 will be, is simply too overoptimistic. One only needs to see the difference between the specs Saab gave about Gripen earlier and what now comes up. If things will go a similar way with LCA MK2, I feel many people will be disappointed by the weight and performance, let alone of the naval version.