"Military And Military Sub-Plane" author: Lu Zhi
Some time ago, India's choice of a new carrier-based aircraft was boiling over, and the core of everyone's attention was which kind of carrier-based aircraft India would choose. The United States has been very active in the Indian carrier-based aircraft program, sending Super Hornet carrier-based aircraft to India for testing many times, so many media have also said that India's purchase of the American Super Hornet is a foregone conclusion. And recently there is a news that India has decided to buy the United States Super Hornet, India's first domestic aircraft carrier Vikrant has been commissioned, and there is a super Hornet carrier aircraft from the United States on the deck, so what is the deep meaning of the emergence of this carrier-based aircraft?
▲Image source: Network
First of all, we mentioned earlier that India used to train using a frame-welded model similar to the MiG 29K, so many people also said that this aircraft is just a carrier-based aircraft model. Of course, this is possible, considering that the United States has always admired the super Hornet carrier-based aircraft in the selection of Indian carrier-based aircraft, and it is understandable to take advantage of India's first domestic aircraft carrier service for the next step of testing.
▲Image source: Network
Second, if you look closely at this carrier-based aircraft, you will find that its degree of completion is very high, beyond the scope of the general model, so this aircraft is more likely to be a genuine carrier-based aircraft. First of all, Although India's domestic aircraft carrier is relatively small in tonnage, much smaller than the Mainland's Liaoning ship, it is after all a warship with a full load displacement of more than 40,000 tons, and it does have the ability to use super Hornet carrier-based aircraft. Secondly, although the American version of the Super Hornet is an advanced carrier-based aircraft that catapults and takes off, thanks to the distinctive aerodynamic layout, the Super Hornet carrier aircraft can take off using the ski-jump deck on India's using the Viclant aircraft carrier. This means that aircraft carriers of the same class can use advanced carrier-based aircraft such as Super Hornet, which is of considerable significance for the future promotion of such carrier-based aircraft.
▲ Super Hornet can take off from the ski jump deck. Image source: Network
So for India, is the choice of super Hornet carrier aircraft really stronger than the Rafale M carrier aircraft? This has to start from the core of India's development of aircraft carriers. On the surface, the biggest significance of India's development of aircraft carriers is to turn the Indian Ocean into an Indian Ocean. But in fact, if you want to control the Indian Ocean, it is very difficult, and if you really want to control the Indian Ocean, you must be a rival to a major country in East Asia. According to the current situation, the advantage of the Super Hornet fighter is half a pound compared to the Rafale M, the advantage of the Super Hornet is that the attack ability is relatively excellent, and the advantage of the Rafale M is that the air combat ability is relatively better. However, both belong to the improved 4th and a half generation fighters, whether it is air combat or attack capabilities are between Bo Zhong, there is no need to favor which one because of performance.
▲Image source: Network
Many people thought that if India could introduce a Rafale M carrier-based aircraft, it might have a logistical advantage, because India's air force was already equipped with a land-based version of the Rafale fighter, and the two were of the same origin. If you take a slightly longer-term view, then it is wiser to choose a Rafale M carrier-based aircraft, but if you look a little further, The Rafale M is not suitable. Although France is a military and aviation power, in the face of advanced 5th-generation fighters or 6th-generation fighters, France does not have the ability to develop independently, and can only develop jointly with other countries in Europe, and even attract investment to share the cost. But as things stand, it's almost impossible for Europeans to develop a 5th-generation fighter that's good enough or pass the class within a decade. Under the protection of NATO and the European Union, European countries can effectively avoid the threat of various wars even if they do not need advanced fighter jets. But for India, if only the use of carrier-based aircraft such as the Rafale M is not worthy of the ambition of being a sound and colored power.
▲Image source: Network
Whether it is a Rafale M or a super Hornet carrier-based aircraft, it has certain advantages for the J-15 active in the mainland. However, the mainland has unveiled the J-35 fighter, and it is clear that it wants to turn the improved J-15 into a low-grade fighter with a high-low mix, mainly performing attack missions, and also has the air combat capability that is not weaker than these two fighters. Previously, the network rumored that the mainland would divide the J-11D fighter into the J-15 family, which is actually equivalent to obtaining a carrier-based version of the top four-and-a-half generation fighter.
▲Image source: Network
The J-35 fighter is a fierce character, even compared to the U.S. F35C, at least back and forth, and even has advantages in air combat performance. So if India does introduce a Rafale M carrier-based aircraft, it will only have an advantage in front of the J-15 at most, and this advantage may only be a few short years. Considering that the introduction of Rafale M still takes time or even delays, it is likely that India's Rafale M has not yet fully entered service, and the more advanced J-15 and J-35 fighters on the mainland have already entered service. Because of this, India's choice of the United States Super Hornet carrier aircraft is equivalent to saying that the United States is on the line, and the purchase of the Super Hornet fighter can introduce F35C fighters in the future, so the Indian Ocean is really india's ocean in a sense.
▲Image source: Network
The reason for the higher level is that European countries are gradually at a disadvantage in the development of military weapons, and the cost is extremely high. In contrast, although the price of U.S. weapons is also very high, it has obvious technical advantages. However, India's choice of the United States' super Hornet carrier-based aircraft means that India's so-called self-developed carrier-based aircraft projects will be adrift. If the F35C or F35B fighter can be introduced, then it is only natural that the Air Force can introduce the F35A fighter of the United States. Although the introduction of American fighter jets on the surface could strengthen India's fighter strength, it also fundamentally destroyed India's aviation industry. All countries with U.S.-made weapons are not in a good position.
▲Image source: Network