In the long term it's hard to see why India should allow itself to be schemed into being the United States' fighting-dog on China's southeastern perimeter. CV-63 and -67 are sure seductive, but would come with a truckload of snags.
The Russians are limited in what they can offer, plus does India want them so close? Let the VMF have the Baku!
Thus India would have an interest in getting involved in the CTOL version of the CVF, and to build a version domestically.
I'd be interested to see the simulations/models showing the SH, an aircraft not sold on its T/W ratio, take off from a ski jump without a catapult (even with a light load).
That said, I can imagine that the Indian concept of having AF aircraft use navy carriers as a hop-strip would send shivers down USAF/USN corridors 
"they can either invest heavily in an aircraft carrier built by a nation that has only been able to deploy their own aircraft carrier once in the last decade,"
You can do better than that, G. No need to fall back to cheap shots.
Gal:
There may be some "life" in the old HAWK yet.......If we're not careful, Putin might even try to buy it. The USA is the only "real" carrier building and using nation in the 21st century.......Brits and Les Francais aside.....carrier warfare is a very serious, expensive and painstaking to learn how to do right....If India is smart, she'd tell her left wing pols to "blank off" and make a deal with the US.
It may be too late, The JKF and KH are lacking in some crucial areas....but they could be huge assets for the Fourth Fleet, by rotating station assignments in this hemisphere....
A major counterpoint to China's ambitions and to help keep Chavez and his pals in line.....helping to defeat the narco terrorists and defend the
Gulf of Mexico and Panama canal.....
Tincanman
Gal: Pls excuse this post....its for
CALI.....Mr. Chris Michel is president of Military.com. A former naval officer his business is helping service members..."Supporting Our Own"
Found in PROCEEDINGS, November, 2004 issue page 96., he has written other articles on helping transition service men and women.....to civilian careers...
bob
Aren't there other large deck carriers in "storage" that we could sell? If there is on the order of $1.2 B in refurbishment money on the table, wouldn't any o one of them be good export candidates?
Does anyone think all those experienced
Russian naval shipyard workers who've found jobs elsewhere, say in Poland, are going to come running back to work for Putin & his pals? After not being paid for a looonnnng time, I doubt it. Those unfinished Russian hulls which have been sitting out for a decade may not make the best warships around. India will never get the Gorshkov (?)....None of the export Kilos India sent back to "get fixed" in Russia have returned....Why throw good rupees after bad?????
If, in fact the Indian naval pilots did train in the US and did see/fly the new Super Hornet....they may prove to be a good lobbying group for US naval fighters....India has her own interests to protect vs. China, she needs to buy the best weapons systems available to outduel the boys from Beijing.........
I don't see why we can't have SOME things off limits. Aircraft carriers and sub should be off limits. I'd love to see their learning curve on landings and take offs from the Indians.
Subs and carriers off limits on a naval
blog????? Fine. What do you suggest?
Indian naval pilots do take off and land on an Indian carrier.....have been doing so for quite some time. The USN holds joint naval exercises with India, Japan, Australia and Singapore, Malabar series,
the last was held in the Bay of Bombay
last September.
That Malabar 07 exercise featured carriers from US and India and both Kilo class and USN subs, plus a/c.
Tincanman
The UK's MOD announced that they will
spend approximately $8 billions to build two new CVFs. This was on Stratfor website earlier today. If in fact, the Brits go ahead and build the two carriers it would put them back in the business of long range strikes etc.....
No where did we see what type warships will escort the new carriers.....a critical part of the puzzle is left open to speculation. With around 40 aircraft on each, they will be a major additional cost for obtaining the new fighters. The F-35 is mentioned....
as are a few other types.
Tincanman
Dimitris:
I'd be interested to see the simulations/models showing the SH, an aircraft not sold on its T/W ratio, take off from a ski jump without a catapult (even with a light load).
The Super Hornet actually has a better empty weight T/W ratio compared to the Su-33 (better even than the F-14D, the SH really gets a lot of undeserved flack), so I suspect that it will do just fine. The Hornet and Super Hornet are also well known for their low speed maneuverability.
What about a realistic combat load? The Su-33 can be forgiven for taking off with a fraction of the internal fuel and a reasonable AA loadout, because that's its mission. If the Indian AF wants to use whatever future carrier as a floating hop-strip, the SH should be able to take off with a reasonably heavy attack load.
Bob M.
I clicked on your link expecting a blog. I bought your book it looks good.
BTW I live in the town to your north and work in yours. Small world
V
Dimitris, I think that CONOP is fantasy.
JerryM, question, are we giving up more technology selling a 50 year old aircraft carrier, or the current front line aircraft of the US Navy?
Galrahn,
I don't know, I meanm it seems that we just keep on engaging these countries with equiptment and my fear is that one it will bit us on the ass.
I have mixed feelings about our arms sales of late.
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