TEJAS: INDIA’S FIGHTER AIRCRAFT :- SYMBOL OF NATIONAL PASSION.:- Humming Bird of India:- (3500 flights without an accident)

TEJAS: INDIA’S FIGHTER AIRCRAFT :- SYMBOL OF NATIONAL PASSION. (3500 flights without an accident) ********************************************************************************* Introduction- ********************************************************************************* It is also known to the lightest and the smallest aircraft in its class amongst modern supersonic aircraft. Fourth generation aircraft: smallest lightweight, single-engine, tactical fighter aircraft in the world. First flight 4 January 2001 Introduction 17 January 2015 Produced 2001–present Number built 21 (including prototypes as of July 2017) Program cost ₹7,399.69 crore (US$1 billion) (LCA total in 2015) ********************************************************************************* Unit cost ********************************************************************************* Mark I - ₹160 crore (US$25 million) Mark IA - ₹602.71 crore (US$94 million) The Tejas, or ‘radiance’, is an indigenous fighter aircraft jointly developed by Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is the smallest lightweight, multi-role, single-engine tactical fighter aircraft in the world and is being developed in single-seat fighter and twin seat trainer variants for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. The HAL Tejas is an Indian single-seat, single-jet engine, multirole light fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Navy. The aircraft has a tail-less compound delta-wing configuration, which provides for high maneuverability. It came from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters. LCA was officially named "Tejas" in 2003, meaning "Radiant" in Sanskrit by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. ********************************************************************************* Who all Involved in Production: ********************************************************************************* Tejas is often described as a product of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), responsibility for its development belongs to ADA, a national consortium of over 100 defence laboratories, industrial organisations, and academic institutions with HAL being the principal contractor ********************************************************************************* GOAL:- ********************************************************************************* LCA Tejas of varying configurations will replace the eight squadrons of MiG21 in the IAF. The government's "self-reliance" goals for the LCA include the three most sophisticated and challenging systems: the fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system (FCS), multi-mode pulse-doppler radar, and afterburning turbofan engine ********************************************************************************* Indigenous (how much%):- ********************************************************************************* By 2008, 70% of the LCA's components were being manufactured in India, the dependence on imported components was stated to be progressively reduced over time. Features:- The Tejas is equipped with both GPS and a ring laser gyroscope based inertial navigation system; for flying in poor conditions, a Very-High Frequency Omni Range/Instrument Landing System (ILS), TACAN for bearing and distance to ground indication and a ground proximity warning system based on the Terrain Referenced Navigation (TRN) system is also employed. The Mark 2 will feature an indigenously-developed AESA fire control radar named Uttam. The electronic warfare suite is designed to enhance combat survivability during deep penetration. This EW suite, known as Mayavi, includes a radar warning receiver (RWR), Missile Approach Warning (MAW) and a Laser warning receiver (LWR) system, Infrared & Ultraviolet Missile warning sensors, self-protection jammer, chaff, jaff and flares dispenser, an electronic countermeasures (ECM) suite and a towed radar decoy (TRD). Tejas is also to be equippable with an Infra-red search and track (IRST) sensor, which can detect and track thermal energy emissions. The current version of Tejas is fully combat capable. It has eight hard points, a laser designation pod to identify and track the target area whether day or night, drop tanks for fuel (each with 1200 litres capacity) and 500 kg bombs, 250 kg bombs, beyond visual range missiles and it can take in both Russian and western stores such is the integration capability of LCA Tejas. Currently we also have a self protection suite which means any incoming missile can be detected and counter measures can be taken. We need to improve ranges, sensors, qualities, weapons, radars, jammers, gun facility etc which is being addressed in the upgraded version. ********************************************************************************* Demand:- ********************************************************************************* In March 2005, the IAF placed an order for 20 aircraft, with a similar purchase of another 20 aircraft to follow. All 40 were to be equipped with the F404-GE-IN20 engine. The Indian Navy has a requirement for 50 Tejas aircraft and the first prototype, NP-1 was rolled out in July 2010. IAF ordered 20 additional Tejas fighters after the defence acquisition council cleared the plan. In October 2015, IAF Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha confirmed that the air force had ordered 120 (six squadrons) of Tejas Mark 1A, triple the 40 aircraft it had previously committed to buying. Indian Government is in the process of approving the second line of manufacturing to the HAL so that they can produce 16 aircraft per year. On 7 November 2016, Parrikar approved procurement of 83 Tejas for the IAF, at a cost of ₹50,025 crore (US$8 billion). The Indian Navy eventually issued an RFI for 57 naval multirole fighters. ********************************************************************************* Test: Successful:- ********************************************************************************* On 25 April 2007, the first Limited Series Production (LSP-1) Tejas performed its maiden flight, achieving a speed of Mach 1.1 (1,347.5 km/h; 837.3 mph). The Tejas completed 1,000 test flights and over 530 hours of flight testing by 22 January 2009. In 2009, a Tejas achieved a speed of over 1,350 kilometres per hour (840 mph) during sea level flight trials at INS Hansa, Goa. In December 2014 the LCA Navy successfully conducted ski-jump trials at SBTF Goa. ********************************************************************************* Missile Test:- ********************************************************************************* In February 2016, LSP-7 test-fired the BVRAAM Derby missile on a BNG (Ballistic Non Guided) mode in Jamnagar as part of its scheduled weapon trials. The aircraft is also scheduled to fire a Close Combat Missile (CCM) Python-5 missile as part of the FOC trails. On 12 May 2017, Tejas successfully demonstrated an Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile firing capability by releasing Derby Air-to-Air BVR missile in RADAR guided mode. The missile launch was performed in lock-on after launch mode. The missile destroyed its manoeuvrable aerial target with pinpoint precision at the Interim Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha. RAFAEL's Derby fire-and-forget missile will serve as the Tejas' initial medium range air-air armament. The Brahmos NG supersonic cruise missile is being developed for the Tejas. The long range Nirbhay cruise missile is being considered for use on the Tejas, but will require extensive modifications. ********************************************************************************* Milesstones:- (The difference between us and the west is that they have been way ahead of us and we had to start from scratch) ********************************************************************************* As of 13 July 2017, the Tejas fleet has flown 3,478 test sorties and 4,200 hours without any accidents. Tejas requires a very short runway and "rockets off the runway and into the air in a mere 500 metres". The Tejas made its international debut on 21 January 2016, when two aircraft flew in the Bahrain International Air Show. In June 2017, Hindustan Aeronautics stated that it expects to have delivered 123 Tejas aircraft to the Indian Air Force by 2024-25. India has started work on developing an unmanned combat version of the home-grown light combat aircraft (LCA), with a task group being constituted to study how to convert the fighter for a futuristic role.