Defence circles have taken notice of the Indian Navy’s choice of the Rafale M (Marine) variant over the American F-18 E/F SuperHornet for its aircraft carriers. Rear (R) Admiral Mukul Asthana, a renowned veteran and aviation specialist, offers insightful information on the elements that affected this important choice.
The Rafale M’s smaller footprint on both aircraft carriers, effective use of hanger space, and compatibility with the carriers’ lifts are the main factors in the decision.
The Rafale M’s lower footprint on aircraft carriers was one of the main factors that persuaded the Indian Navy to choose it. The Rafale M, in contrast to the F-18 E/F Superhornet, is designed for carrier-based missions and has proportions that make it possible to store it effectively on the decks of carriers. The Indian Navy can deploy more aircraft on each carrier thanks to the smaller footprint, which improves the fleet’s operating capability.
The Rafale M’s lower footprint on aircraft carriers was one of the main factors that persuaded the Indian Navy to choose it. The Rafale M, in contrast to the F-18 E/F Superhornet, is designed for carrier-based missions and has proportions that make it possible to store it effectively on the decks of carriers. The Indian Navy can deploy more aircraft on each carrier thanks to the smaller footprint, which improves the fleet’s operating capability.
Lifts are used by the aircraft carriers to move aircraft between the top flight decks and the lower hangar decks. The Rafale M’s interoperability with the lifts streamlines the process of deploying the aircraft and allows for trouble-free launch and recovery. This characteristic strengthened the Rafale M’s status as the Indian Navy’s favoured option.
The displacement of the F-18 E/F Superhornet, which is frequently deployed on US aircraft carriers, is twice that of Indian carriers. The number of aircraft that can be deployed on each ship is constrained as a result of this substantial size disparity.
Additionally, the F-18 E/F Superhornet, a bigger aircraft, has an MTOW close to 30 tonnes, whereas the Rafale M and the Mig-29K, the Indian Navy’s current aircraft, have MTOWs under 25 tonnes each. The Rafale M’s lower MTOW enables greater carrier operational flexibility.
