Abingdonboy
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Assuming 75% availabilty that fleet of 45 MiG-29Ks is reduced to 33 at any one time and this is nowhere near sufficent to support 2 carriers and shore based support/training ops- not even close.We have 45 Mig-29K, which will be split between the INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, IN doesn't need more aircraft as far as these 2 carriers are concerned.
The 45 MiG-29Ks were explictly sold to the IN to form the Viky's airwing, the IN has at no point said they are for the IAC-1, if the IN was going to have the MiG-29K on the IAC-1 they should have placed more orders some time ago.
Furthermore, if the plans of a sister ship to the Vikrant become a relaity then by 2023 the IN will have 3 STOBAR carriers with just 45 planes.
The Rafale-M will be made in India (unlike the MiG-29K), will have more commonality with the IAF's fleet for longer (Rafales will be in the IAF for another 40 years, the MiG-29UPGs will ve out of service in 20) and will allow the IN to have a single platform for their STOBAR and CATOBAR carriers.
The IN has thought about this extensively.
Not a chance. The IAF version won't be ready before 2030 at the earliest and unfortunatly there is no indication the IN has any invovlement in the AMCA project as of now and thus navalising the AMCA will take even longer.N-AMCA should be ready for testing around 2026,
Impossible, the IAC-2 is going to be CATOBAR configured so the N-LCA won't be able to take off from it,INS Vishal will have N-AMCA and LCA MK-2
The IN is far more progressive and won't settle for a 4.5 gen aircraft in 5th gen timelines.
Don't be duped by this. What can a 5th gen fighter do that a 4.5++ gen fighter like the Rafale can't do? This hype arpund 5th gen has been drummed up by LM's PR office but there utility of such festures is highly questionable and especially when your pursuit of 5th gen features comprimises outright performance (as seen on the F-35). The IN is progressive like you say and appreciate they want the most capable fighters- the Rafale-M thus has a heck of a lot of scope to enter service.
@PARIKRAMA
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