HMS Invincible
In mid-2002 the rumor going around London was that the UK would put up the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible for sale in 2006. Since the Indian Navy's plans include several aircraft carriers, it made great sense that the Indian Navy will bid for the Invincible.

HMS Invincible could become the new flagship of the Indian navy in a controversial multi- million-pound deal with the British Ministry of Defence (MoD). The aircraft carrier, along with naval Sea Harrier jets to fly from it, was at the top of Delhi's military shopping list. Britain has three aircraft carriers; the others are HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious. Invincible is due to be taken out of service in 2006.

The Government of India proposed to buy 17 second-hand Sea Harriers from the Royal Navy of the UK. The Government has been collecting information whether there are surplus Fleet Air Arm Sea Harriers. Royal Navy Sea Harriers are said to cost $9 million each and they also suit Indian Navy's requirements. About 29 Sea Harriers are available for disposal. Indian Navy, at present, has 17 units of FRS 51 model. Indian Navy might consider going for total fleet replacement. Sea Harriers can also be used for operational roles. This will suit INS Virat, as it can only carry Vertical/short take off and landing aircraft of size of the Sea Harriers. These can also be deployed across the border.

Another reason why India might not buy the offered block 2 super hornet

Late in June, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi had been invited to take a spin in one of Boeing’s F/A-18s at the Le Bourget air show. While landing, the Hornet’s nosewheel refused to come down because of an undercarriage problem, sparking off elaborate emergency measures on the ground, in case Tyagi and the American pilot needed to eject. Later, the pilots were able to bring down the jet safely.

While the IAF has no qualms in admitting that the Super Hornet is possibly the most advanced fighter currently in full-rate production, most officials in the force insist that the Hornet has always been a platform designed for carrier-borne maritime missions. Almost all Hornets in possession of the US forces at present are with the aircraft carrier groups.

The Boeing team will try its best to dispel this popular opinion that the Horent is a Naval platform. Friday’s presentation will most likely have Boeing informing the IAF — as Lt Gen Jeffrey Kohler of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency had done earlier this year — that the Super Hornet can be upgraded and tweaked for conventional multi-role operations.

Interestingly, it’s the Indian Navy which will first get a taste of the Hornet this September during a joint exercises with the US at the Arabian Sea.

Since US media reports indicate Bush administration’s clearance for possible transfer of sensitive radar technology like Raytheon AN/APG-79 AESA radar of the Super Hornet to India, diplomatic bargaining to secure the AN/APG-81 AESA radar may well bear fruit.