IAF Jaguars ‘sink’ USS Nimitz, F-18s return the favour to INS Viraat

[Sam Dhanraj]

IAF Jaguars ‘sink’ USS Nimitz, F-18s return the favour to INS Viraat


Manu PubbyPosted online:

Saturday, September 08, 2007 at 0000 hrs

ON BOARD USS Kitty Hawk (150 miles west of Port Blair), September 7: As the small green dots approached closer on the radar screen, the Indian officer sitting deep inside USS Nimitz knew it was too late to save the ship. Jaguar maritime fighters of the Indian Air Force (IAF), operating from the Car Nicobar air base, had managed to come dangerously within striking range to successfully launch anti-ship missiles on the super carrier.


The IAF registered its first “kill” of the day — none less than the mighty nuclear powered Nimitz with its compliment of 85 fighters. But the young officer, on a cross attachment to the US ship, barely had time to feel proud. The battle had begun in earnest and the target now was India’s lone aircraft carrier.

INS Viraat, however, proved easy meat for the joint striking force of US F-18 Super Hornets and IAF Jaguars with the American fighters deliberately flying over the ship to drive home their air-superiority skills.

With the five-nation Malabar 07-2 naval exercise entering its final two days today, the buzzword on board the Kitty Hawk — the US carrier coordinating the 30-warship mock battle — was the level of “interoperability” achieved by the participating Navies of India, US, Australia, Japan and Singapore.

From tracking and destroying a nuclear submarine, operating three aircraft carriers in close proximity, managing air traffic for over 200 aircraft spread over just 150 X 200 km (roughly the size of airspace between Mumbai and Pune), supporting an amphibious assault to taking on a deep-sea terror threat and tackling piracy, the five countries jointly carried out pretty much the entire range of modern maritime operations.

“We didn’t just get a chance to operate together but also the opportunity to assess our own capabilities by comparing them with the latest technology in the world,” says Vice Admiral R P Suthan, commander in chief of the strategic Eastern Command, who is the “tactical commander” for the mock battle over the next two days.

The location is less than 200 miles from the Chinese listening post in Coco Islands and touches the strategic Malacca Straits. But the US is quick to deny that this is an alliance to contain the military might of the Asian economic giant.

“This has not been put together as a signal against anyone. It is meant to bring Naval professionals together to practise,” Vice Admiral William Crowder, Commander of the Seventh fleet, the largest forward deployed fleet of the US Navy, told reporters on board the super carrier.

The war game is scheduled to culminate in a final mock battle involving all battleships over the weekend. The detailed scenario has not been revealed but is likely to be an intense air-dominated battle fought between two divided groups of the flotilla.

However, USS Nimitz, which headed home today after reaching the end of its deployment period, will be missed by the Indian fighters.

IndianExpress.com :: IAF Jaguars ‘sink’ USS Nimitz, F-18s return the favour to INS Viraat

 

[Bushroda]

And what was the fighter group onboard Nimitz doing? Why didn't they engage Jaguars? Didn't they get an early warning of the enemy presence?

I don't believe that a carrier can be destroyed so easily unless and until it was left out in the open sea on its own (without any counter electronic warfare system to protect itself from an incoming missile) for target practice.

 

[adnan1479]

i agree with the gentleman above - - - what were the Hawkeye crews doing? catching thai TV on their lcds?

 

[echo 1]

The thing that throws me off is that all U.S. carriers have a network of defences including F-18 that serve as defenders of the carrier a few miles outside the carrier why were they not on station and if they were why didn't they engage the lone jaguar it would have been an easy target for even one of them.

 

[Keysersoze]

And what was the fighter group onboard Nimitz doing? Why didn't they engage Jaguars? Didn't they get an early warning of the enemy presence?

I don't believe that a carrier can be destroyed so easily unless and until it was left out in the open sea on its own (without any counter electronic warfare system to protect itself from an incoming missile) for target practice.

Unless the Nimitz was playing RED FORCE where they were simulating another carriers capabilities. Probably a Chinese carrier.

In reality IE doesn't have much credibility when it comes to defence related articles

 

[Neo]

Imho Pentagon is looking for budget for 10 new generation carriers.
Remember Cope India? USAF F-15 lost from IAF Su-30, the same day Congress approved budget for F-22 raptor.

 

[Bushroda]

Imho Pentagon is looking for budget for 10 new generation carriers.
Remember Cope India? USAF F-15 lost from IAF Su-30, the same day Congress approved budget for F-22 raptor.

You are talking about a highly disciplined & professional military that wouldn't yield an inch without breaking enemy's balls. In that context I donot really understand why they would want to purposely lose so as simply to get some new toys? Not to mention it would seriously undermine the export value of F-15 eagle. If the threat perception of Su-30 isn't that high then why would they want raptor for?

 

[Neo]

Don't wanna go off topic mate but we've discussed it in lenghts. Everybody knows why F-15 lost!

 

[Keysersoze]

Don't wanna go off topic mate but we've discussed it in lenghts. Everybody knows why F-15 lost!

Yup and the idea that a U.S. CBG would go down to a flight of jaguars so easily is somewhat laughable.

 

[Contrarian]

You are missing the point. It was a joint force including jags, F-18's among others. It was not simply jags against nimitz or f-18's against viraat. It was a joint task force both side.

 

[Keysersoze]

You are missing the point. It was a joint force including jags, F-18's among others. It was not simply jags against nimitz or f-18's against viraat. It was a joint task force both side.

If I'm missing the point then so has the journalist. And so will every fanboy who will wave this around as being another defeat for the U.S. forces at the hands of the IAF.

 

[Neo]

Unless the Nimitz was playing RED FORCE where they were simulating another carriers capabilities. Probably a Chinese carrier.

Keys,

China won't have an ac carrier before 2015 which leaves India and Thailand to be the only Asian countries to have an operational carrier.
Thailand is a US friendly country.

 

[vips]

Guys,

Just check this !

The Telegraph - Calcutta : Nation

Trinamul leader and former Calcutta mayor Subrata Mukherjee was on board the USS Kitty Hawk on Friday and as soon as he took the first few steps down the flight deck and looked around him, he was struck with wonder. “Eta toh ekdom ekta bheelez’er moton, maaeeri (this is just like a village, Mother Mary).”

The Kitty Hawk is much more than that and there is little in it to make one feel bucolic. It is the oldest aircraft carrier in the US fleet.

Mukherjee was here on a “distinguished visitors’ programme”. The US consul in Calcutta was here, too. The Andamans fall in the Calcutta consulate’s area of responsibility.

Now, back to Mukherjee. He said it was with great difficulty he found two days off from his busy schedule. He was worried a bit about the arrested landing or “trap” and the catapulted take-off “shot” but appeared to bear it well. He was carrying a spare suit, unsuitable for the tropics, in a “Traders’ Assembly, Gariahat” plastic bag.

Kitty for India

The Kitty Hawk is on its last deployment. It is due to be decommissioned next year, but the Malabar war games are not its last active operation. In February, it will participate in drills off Hawaii, headquarters of the US Pacific Command, before it heads for San Diego. In Hawaii, the crew and its on-board carrier, Air Wing, will move to the USS George Washington, a Nimitz-class nuclear propelled carrier that will replace the Kitty Hawk.

The buzz is that the Kitty Hawk will be up for sale. Will India bid for it? There is a certain logic to this. The Superhornets are a competitive bidder for the IAF’s $10.2-billion multi-role combat aircraft order. The Kitty Hawk flight deck is crammed with them. If India were to take the Kitty Hawk and the Superhornets, it would get just fine.


It would be great to add this supercarrier in our arsenal

 

[Contrarian]

We dont have the economy to operate such carriers. It is sufficient to remain with 50-60K DWT for now till 2020. Then our economy will allow us to go for such ships with no strain on the defence budget.

 

[Keysersoze]

Keys,

China won't have an ac carrier before 2015 which leaves India and Thailand to be the only Asian countries to have an operational carrier.
Thailand is a US friendly country.

That's not the rumours I have heard. The first will be operational by 2010 and the second by 2015. With a third somewhere on the horizon.