The Indian Navy will start the flight trials of Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet carrier based multi-role fighters at the shore-based test facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa from May 23 as the US craft is one of the contenders for 26 fighters onboard soon to be commissioned INS Vikrant indigenous aircraft carrier.
It is understood that two fighters of the US Navy will land in INS Hansa towards the end of this week for take-offs from the 283-meter mock-up deck of India’s sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. The aircraft carrier is expected to come out of a major overhaul and become operational next month.
The Indian Navy is expected to buy 26 carrier based multi-role fighter for INS Vikrant with eight of these aircraft two-seaters to be used both for flight training and operations. The Super Hornet is a proven weapon platform with an internal rotary cannon with 11 hardpoints to carry air to air missiles and air to surface missiles as well as laser-guided bunker busting bombs.
The other contender fighter aircraft for INS Vikrant, which is expected to be commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2022, is the Rafale Maritime strike fighter. The Rafale fighter has already been tested by the Indian Navy in January 2022 with the French offering four aircraft on lease for initial training and operational purposes. India has already bought 36 Rafale multi-role fighters for the Indian Air Force with two major maintenance bases in Ambala in the north and Hashimara in West Bengal.