As per several sources, The Indian Navy in an advanced stage of negotiations to take one squadron strength of American-made F-18 jets. Under the newly introduced Defense ministry leasing guidelines, the Indian Navy is looking to lease several platforms. Including, light utility helicopters for its logistical needs among others. The Navy is looking to fill vital gaps in the frontline warships by urgently leasing 12-18 helicopters from foreign vendors.

據幾位消息人士透露，印度海軍正就獲得一個中隊的美制F-18戰機的談判進入最后階段。根據新出臺的國防部租賃指導方針，印度海軍正尋求租賃幾種武器平臺，包括用于后勤需要的輕型通用直升機等。海軍正在尋求填補前線戰艦的重要空白，從外國供應商緊急租賃12-18架直升機。

Amid the ongoing border row between India and China, last month Navy leased two Sea Guardian drones from the American giant General Atomics for intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance over the Indian Ocean. A possible lease of 15-18 units of FA-18 Block III or one squadron multirole fighter jets is under advanced stages of negotiation. Could be operated from the Indian Aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and under trails INS Vikrant IAC. Though there are no official confirmations, there are no smokes without fire.

在印度和中國之間持續不斷的邊界糾紛期間，上個月海軍從美國巨頭通用原子公司租用了兩架海洋守護者無人機，用于印度洋上空的情報收集、監視和偵察?？赡茏庥?5-18架FA-18 Block III型或一個中隊的多用途戰斗機，合同正處于談判的最后階段。這些飛機可以在印度航母“維克拉馬蒂亞”號上操作，也可以在“維克蘭特”號航母上操作。雖然沒有得到官方證實，但此事并非空穴來風。


F-18 ski-jump demonstration program
An Indian defense analyst who goes by the Twitter handle @hukum2082 was first to reveal this flight testing, which was then picked up by another Indian analyst, Saurabh Joshi, in another series of tweets, on Aug. 19, 2020. The Chicago-headquartered plane maker subsequently confirmed that this ski jump demonstration program is presently taking place at Patuxent River, though it is not clear when exactly it began. The naval air station has a ground-based ski jump that it used during testing of the short and vertical takeoff and landing capable F-35B variant of the Joint Strike Fighter.

F-18滑躍演示項目
一位推特賬號為@hukum2082的印度國防分析師首先披露了這次飛行測試，隨后，另一位印度分析師索拉布喬希在2020年8月19日的另一系列推文中發現了這一消息。這家總部位于芝加哥的飛機制造商隨后證實，這個滑躍起飛示范項目目前正在帕塔克森特河進行，但尚不清楚具體是什么時候開始的。該海軍航空站有一個陸基滑躍跳臺，用于測試具有短距垂直起降能力的F-35B聯合攻擊戰斗機變種。

Twitter handle user @hukum2082 now claims that the Indian Navy in an advanced stage of procuring Boeing,s F-18 Block III. “Boeing and the U.S. Navy are in the beginning phases of operating a F/A-18 Super Hornet from a ski jump at Naval Air Station Patuxent River to demonstrate it is STOBAR compliant for the Indian Navy,” Justin Gibson, a Boeing spokesperson, told The War Zone. “Boeing completed the extensive analysis and more than 150 flight simulations on F/A-18 compatibility with Indian aircraft carriers, and while our assessment has shown the Block III Super Hornet is very capable of launching off a ski jump, this is the next step in demonstrating that capability. More details will be released upon the conclusion of the test demonstration.”

推特用戶@hukum2082現在聲稱，印度海軍購買波音F-18 Block III的采購進入了最后階段。波音公司發言人賈斯汀·吉布森告訴The War Zone:“波音公司和美國海軍的F/ a -18超級大黃蜂戰斗機正在帕圖克森特河海軍航空站的一個滑躍平臺上操作，以證明它符合印度海軍的STOBAR標準。波音公司完成了廣泛的分析，并對F/A-18與印度航空母艦的兼容性進行了150多次飛行模擬，雖然我們的評估顯示Block III超級大黃蜂非常有能力進行滑躍起飛，但我們下一步才會展示這種能力。更多細節將在測試演示結束后公布?！?

McDonnell Douglas F18 Legacy
McDonnell Douglas, which developed the original F/A-18 Hornet and was subsequently acquired by Boeing. Had also previously conducted ski jump tests with that aircraft at the tail end of the Cold War. That testing showed that with as little as a nine-degree incline, the total required takeoff roll for the Hornet could be cut in half, though it’s unclear what the jet’s gross weight had to be to achieve this performance. Ski jumps generally increase the takeoff performance of combat jets in the absence of catapults and also provide an added margin of safety.

麥道公司的F18遺產
麥道公司開發了最初的F/A-18大黃蜂戰斗機，隨后被波音公司收購。也曾在冷戰末期用該飛機進行過滑躍起飛試驗。該測試顯示，只要傾斜度只有9度，大黃蜂所需的總起飛長度就可以減少一半，不過尚不清楚要達到這一性能，飛機的總重量必須是多少?；S起飛通常要在沒有彈射器的情況下，增加戰斗機的起飛性能，并提供額外的安全系數。

The Mighty F18
The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet is the world’s most lethal, advanced, combat-proven, multi-role frontline fighter-jet.

強大的F18
F/A-18 E/F超級大黃蜂是世界上最致命的、先進的、經過實戰驗證的、多用途前線戰斗機。

The Block III version which is currently being manufactured for the United States Navy will enable the Indian armed forces to challenge the next generation of adversaries. It can perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defense, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and buddy refueling.

目前正在為美國海軍制造的Block III型將使印度武裝部隊能夠挑戰下一代對手。它幾乎可以執行戰術范圍內的每一個任務，包括空中優勢、精確制導武器的晝/夜打擊、戰斗機護航、近距離空中支援、壓制敵方防空、海上打擊、偵察、前進空中控制和伙伴加油。

Significant technology insertions in the form of advanced cockpit, new computing & advanced data lix, conformal fuel tanks, increase airfrx life, and ability to carry a wide variety of weapons makes F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet most lethal platform for Air Force and Navies of the world.

先進的座艙、新的計算和先進的數據鏈、保形油箱、增加機體壽命和攜帶多種武器的能力等重要技術的嵌入，使F/a-18 Block III超級大黃蜂成為世界上空軍和海軍最致命的作戰平臺。

More than 700 F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets are in operation today. F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet will offer superior economics to the Indian armed forces in the form of low cost of acquisition, operations, and high mission readiness.

今天有700多架F/A-18大黃蜂和超級大黃蜂在服役。F/A-18 Block III超級大黃蜂將以低采購成本、作戰成本和高任務就緒能力為印度武裝部隊提供卓越的經濟效益。