IAF set to receive LCA-Mk1A fighters in February 2024

[NG Missile Vessels]

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to receive its first home-grown combat aircraft with beyond-visual range strike capabilities next February, the defence ministry said here on Friday.

The delivery of Tejas LCA-Mk-1A aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is likely to commence from February, 2024, the ministry said in a statement, while marking the seventh anniversary of the induction of the made-in-India fighter jet.

The 83 LCA Mk-1A aircraft – contracted by the defence ministry in 2021 at a price of $6 billion- will also have AESA radar, an updated electronic warfare suite and a beyond-visual range missile system.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1643617378335354883

"The new variant will be capable of firing weapons from increased stand-off ranges and many of these weapons will be of indigenous origin. The LCA MK-1A will see a substantial increase in the indigenous content of the aircraft,” it said.

Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. Two IAF units – 45 Squadron and 18 Squadron, both in Sulur – are currently flying the aircraft and more squadrons will take it up.

The indigenous fighter jet is one of the military products that India has pitched for exports with Egypt, Argentina, USA, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines showing interest.

The Mark-1A version would be having 43 “improvements” from the first lot of 40 LCA Tejas that the IAF earlier purchased from the HAL at a price of Rs 8,802 crore.

The improvements include digital radar warning receivers and external self-protection jammers besides having better maintainability for which additional infrastructure will be required.

IAF set to receive LCA-Mk1A in February 2024

www.google.com

 

[NG Missile Vessels]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665748554541854721

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665748564662689793

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665748572422418432

https://twitter.com/x/status/1624306427790790656

@SQ8 @indushek @CallSignMaverick @Raj-Hindustani @Skull and Bones @protean @INDIAPOSITIVE

 

[Ali_Baba]

Any pictures of the new "Smart Cockpit"? Did they keep the 3x MFD layout or did they adopt the a single Large MFD ?

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

View attachment 936073
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to receive its first home-grown combat aircraft with beyond-visual range strike capabilities next February, the defence ministry said here on Friday.

The delivery of Tejas LCA-Mk-1A aircraft by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is likely to commence from February, 2024, the ministry said in a statement, while marking the seventh anniversary of the induction of the made-in-India fighter jet.

The 83 LCA Mk-1A aircraft – contracted by the defence ministry in 2021 at a price of $6 billion- will also have AESA radar, an updated electronic warfare suite and a beyond-visual range missile system.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1643617378335354883

"The new variant will be capable of firing weapons from increased stand-off ranges and many of these weapons will be of indigenous origin. The LCA MK-1A will see a substantial increase in the indigenous content of the aircraft,” it said.

Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. Two IAF units – 45 Squadron and 18 Squadron, both in Sulur – are currently flying the aircraft and more squadrons will take it up.

The indigenous fighter jet is one of the military products that India has pitched for exports with Egypt, Argentina, USA, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines showing interest.

The Mark-1A version would be having 43 “improvements” from the first lot of 40 LCA Tejas that the IAF earlier purchased from the HAL at a price of Rs 8,802 crore.

The improvements include digital radar warning receivers and external self-protection jammers besides having better maintainability for which additional infrastructure will be required.

IAF set to receive LCA-Mk1A in February 2024

www.google.com

Give it few more months and the date will move to 2025.

LCA = Late Combat Aircraft

 

[Raj-Hindustani]

HAL has lost my trust in timelines.

HAL is doing a much better job in Helicopters development but still struggling with fighter aircrafts.

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

HAL has lost my trust in timelines.

HAL is doing a much better job in Helicopters development but still struggling with fighter aircrafts.

Pakistan has full faith in your HAL.

 

[Raj-Hindustani]

Pakistan has full faith in your HAL.

I state a schedule, and if Pakistan PAC begins with the design process. It will take more than 10 to 15 years to design and develop Pakistan's first indigenous aircraft.

Manufacturing after TOT is different than designing and developing... HAL is a legend when comes to manufacturing, just as PAC is going to Pakistan with Jf 17 and the trainer aircraft.

I am just not happy with the timeliness of things........ But happy that they are trying it. The upcoming 10 years will be very critical for HAL.

HAL has already demonstrated its ability in the development of helicopters, and after failure and effort, it will undoubtedly succeed in the construction of fighters as well, but the schedule is crucial.

 

[NG Missile Vessels]

HAL has lost my trust in timelines.

HAL is doing a much better job in Helicopters development but still struggling with fighter aircrafts.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1675155612798455809

 

[SQ8]

Interesting that the capabilities mentioned are just now catching up to the JF-17 block-2 in terms of MMI and SA except the AESA radar.

Which is find really surprising since software should have been a core strength for HAL with such a large pool available of both fresh resources and sub contractors.

 

[Dazzler]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665748554541854721

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665748564662689793

https://twitter.com/x/status/1665748572422418432

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1624306427790790656

@SQ8 @indushek @CallSignMaverick @Raj-Hindustani @Skull and Bones @protean @INDIAPOSITIVE

Someone seems over excited. Many of the mentioned features are pretty standard. Take rwr coverage for instance.

 

[indushek]

HAL has lost my trust in timelines.

HAL is doing a much better job in Helicopters development but still struggling with fighter aircrafts.

While I fully agree with their skipping of timelines, there is also scramble to regularly update some kind of news, saying as per sources.

If am not wrong, the Mk1a got delayed due to funding approval being late or something. The news reports however, don't mention these nitty gritties. Guess we are also impatient, to see things happen quickly which isn't wrong either. IT is what it is

 

[NG Missile Vessels]

Which is find really surprising since software should have been a core strength for HAL with such a large pool available of both fresh resources and sub contractors.

Tejas Mk1 has 3 axis Digital Fly-By-Wire (roll, yaw & pitch) while the initial versions of JF-17 only have pitch axis digital FBW and not digital in other two axis. Tejas’ control law is one of the bests in the world in general
The flight characteristics is something that is continuously improving because the major cause of delay was also the biggest advantage, because the west denied us access to whole algorithms which has led DRDO to develop its own digital FBW here in India itself. It's all ours only. That means every hour an LCA flies, more data is collected and the software improved. This has already lead to an improvement in Angle of Attack by 1.5 degrees. The Computers have been improved to take control of the aircraft and bring it back into flight envelope.... So hopefully Mig21 like accidents won't happen during its operational service

 

[SQ8]

Tejas Mk1 has 3 axis Digital Fly-By-Wire (roll, yaw & pitch) while the initial versions of JF-17 only have pitch axis digital FBW and not digital in other two axis. Tejas’ control law is one of the bests in the world in general
The flight characteristics is something that is continuously improving because the major cause of delay was also the biggest advantage, because the west denied us access to whole algorithms which has led DRDO to develop its own digital FBW here in India itself. It's all ours only. That means every hour an LCA flies, more data is collected and the software improved. This has already lead to an improvement in Angle of Attack by 1.5 degrees. The Computers have been improved to take control of the aircraft and bring it back into flight envelope.... So hopefully Mig21 like accidents won't happen during its operational service

Tell me something I dont know - the LCA CLAW team deserves accolades upon accolades - but it is a irrelevant jingoistic response to what I spoke to - man machine interface and sensor fusion.
How they perform currently in maneuverability vs each other and ease of flying is irrelevant to how their pilots get information and situational awareness picture.

Learn to speak to the subject instead of going on like a propaganda troll trying to constantly spit and shine things and you will be engaged better.

 

[NG Missile Vessels]

Tell me something I dont know - the LCA CLAW team deserves accolades upon accolades - but it is a irrelevant jingoistic response to what I spoke to - man machine interface and sensor fusion.
How they perform currently in maneuverability vs each other and ease of flying is irrelevant to how their pilots get information and situational awareness picture.

Learn to speak to the subject instead of going on like a propaganda troll trying to constantly spit and shine things and you will be engaged better.

I've just responded to the 2nd para of your tweet.
There is nothing propaganda in my reply

 

[NG Missile Vessels]

Interesting that the capabilities mentioned are just now catching up to the JF-17 block-2 in terms of MMI and SA except the AESA radar

Tell me something I dont know - the LCA CLAW team deserves accolades upon accolades - but it is a irrelevant jingoistic response to what I spoke to - man machine interface and sensor fusion

Jamming pods that DRDO has developed for LCA MK1A and SU-30 MKI are based on GaN T/R modules. Confirmed by a DRDO scientist @3:27:

We have achieved something which even French do not have. Our Rafale's SPECTRA still has GaA jamming, whilst our LCA Mk1A will have GaN based HBJ pods/EW suite from its first model next year. These ASPJ/HBJ pods we've developed for LCA-Mk-1A & Su-30MKI are both capable of transmitting and receiving, thus consisting of both TX and RX antennas.

This configuration would allow both the fighters to do cross-eye jamming much effectively, thereby deceiving the enemy radar by creating false targets.

MKI is already a very powerful jet, just imagine the kind of jamming power at its disposal with GaN EW suite. It will have power to make even AESA LPI radars and AESA missile seekers totally ineffective like SPECTRA