The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday cleared the IAF’s acquisition of 83 Mark-1A Tejas fighters from defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics for around Rs 48,000 crore, in the biggest-ever deal in the indigenous military aviation sector. These 83 fighters, the deliveries of which will begin three years after the actual contract is inked in early-February, will have 43 “improvements” over the 40 Tejas Mark-1 already ordered by the IAF.
In the 1980s, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) started the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme to replace the ageing Soviet sourced MiG-21. In light of this, the indigenously built fighter aircraft- Tejas was inducted in the IAF. An order of 20 jets was placed initially by the Indian Air Force and the first Tejas Squadron was formed in the year 2016 with the name 'Flying Daggers'.
The LCA Tejas MK 1A is a 4.5 generation multirole light fighter developed by India. It is ideally a single seat fighter jet but also can be manufactured into a twin-seat fighter jet. It is powered by a single General Electric F-404 engine rated at 53.9 kN thrust dry and 90 kN with afterburner.
Tejas is famous for its pure delta wing configuration, with no tail planes or fore planes, and a single dorsal fin. It has a length of 13.2 m and a wingspan of 8.2 m. Tejas LCA is made up of composites with 45% by weight and 95% by surface area making it highly maneuverable and it is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary combat aircraft and has an in-service life of 9,000 flying hours and can be extended up to 12,000 hours.
It integrates technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics system, composite material structures, and a flat rated engine. Astra Mk1 is also integrated on Tejas Mk1A, giving an edge to the fighter over its contemporaries in BVR warfare. “With the introduction of podded self-protection jammer (SPJ) and AESA on Tejas Mk1A, the survivability of the aircraft is further enhanced.
Aircraft's weight is reduced by 1000 kg from its initial weight of 6500 kg. It has a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and can travel 500 km with drop tanks. Tejas can carry laser-guided bombs, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship missiles, and has indigenously build Uttam AESA radar .The AESA radar will give Tejas improved range with near-simultaneous missile-firing options on multiple targets and increased situational awareness with mode interleaving.
