Boeing F/A-18 Demos Ski-Jump Take-off in Indian Aircraft Carrier Pitch
Our Bureau
2621
Boeing said today that its F/A-18 Super Hornet demonstrated take off from a ski-jump to strengthen its pitch for an Indian Navy tender seeking combat aircraft for its aircraft carriers.
“Our F/A-18 Super Hornet demonstrates the ability to operate from Indian Navy aircraft carriers during its successful and safe launch from a ski-jump ramp,” the U.S. plane maker said.
The demonstrations were held at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD. The two aircraft carriers India has – INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-I) – have Short Takeoff but Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) configuration. It is a system used for the launch and recovery of a fighter jet from the deck of an aircraft carrier. The system combines the elements of Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) with Catapult-Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR).