HAL Tejas | Updates, News & Discussions

[Sergi]

Q. The navy is concerned at the lack of progress in the Naval LCA

The naval Tejas is a different challenge. We had incorrectly thought that deriving a naval variant from an air force variant would be easier. But, as we learnt, it is the other way round.



@Capt.Popeye @sancho

Jurno should have asked him about Navalising AMCA first and then deriving AF version

 

[IND151]

Broadsword: Tejas fighter enters air force service

Livefist: Images From IOC Day For LCA Tejas

All you want to know about Tejas | idrw.org

 

[fsayed]

Add AMCA prototype.

bro amca would b inducted by 2022 or 2023 thats y I font added amca but amca would another gem plus aura and rustum

 

[trident2010]

Good to see the smoke is shedding and Tejas is clearly becoming fully operational. Congrats India

 

[HariPrasad]

The best news I got is that it managed 24* AOA. If it shoots upto 28* or more, It will give us a highly agile capability and care free maneuvers. Key of performance lies in
1) increasing AOA
2) refine the plane aerodynamically and,
3) weight reduction

 

[HariPrasad]

Kaveri could power next LCA series: Antony Tribune News Service

Bangalore, December 20
Defence Minister A K Antony today said the government had not yet given up its plan of powering the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas with the indigenously made Kaveri engine.

In a press conference here, which followed a function where LCA powered by American GE 404 engine was given the initial operational clearance (IOC) making it compliant with the requirements of the IAF for a battle ready aircraft, Antony said, “We have not abandoned the Kaveri engine project yet.”

The Defence Minister said while the LCA Mk 1 and Mk 2 varieties would be powered by the American GE 404 and GE 414 engines, respectively, Kaveri engine could be used to power the next LCA series.

He said the IAF would have two squadrons and four squadrons each of LCA Mk 1 and Mk 2, respectively. There would still be requirement of more planes as the IAF would eventually require about 200 planes to replace the entire MiG 21 fleet.

Kaveri engine, being developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab in Bangalore, was supposed to power the LCA initially. However, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), also a DRDO lab handling the LCA project, opted for the American GE engine as wait for Kaveri engine continued.

Antony, who spoke at length on the necessity of indigenisation in his speech in the IOC function, emphasised it once again. He talked about the aircraft carrier being built at Kochi, the next edition of the Arjun Battle Tank and Astra missiles being developed locally.

The success of the LCA project had shown the world that India was capable of making a modern aircraft, Antony said and added that the success would also give a big boost to the indigenisation efforts in the country.

 

[HariPrasad]

Open the treasure. Spent any demn amount but realize kaveri 120 KN.

Recently mishradhatu nigam limited has developed a metallurgy which can withstand a temperature of much more that what alloy used in kaveri. Build a 120 KN engine to power LCA MK 3 and AMCA.

 

[trident2010]

no harm in developing kaveri but it should not interfere with the induction of Tejas.

 

[HariPrasad]

no harm in developing kaveri but it should not interfere with the induction of Tejas.

We can not make a sophisticated engine as GE414 but we can certainly make something equivalent to engine of MKI. We should try for that.

 

[Jayanta]

Why has the IAF reduced the number of MK2 to be inducted? Wasn't it... 40 LCA Mk 1 aircraft plus 8 Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft on order. Plans to order LCA Mk 2 aircraft for 10 more squadrons (about 180 total aircraft) after completing production of LCA Mk 1

 

[HariPrasad]

Why has the IAF reduced the number of MK2 to be inducted? The last I heard was a total of 10 squadrons of Tejas 2 MK1 and 8 MK2.

May be to induct Mk3

 

[trident2010]

We can not make a sophisticated engine as GE414 but we can certainly make something equivalent to engine of MKI. We should try for that.

We don't have to make directly something like F414. We need something simple but reliable for our own needs.

 

[SRP]

 

[sancho]

Hmm, great news if true but I'm a bit skeptical right now. Let's see.....

@sancho?

A refuelling probe for MK1 was mentioned by officials quiet often now, but so far no prototype has tested it and there are confusions about what kind of probe it will be. There were reports saying that it will be a retractable one and some people on BR automatically concluded that it would be one that will be housed internally. Imo, retractable in this case means only, that IAF can attach it to the airframe and simply remove it again, similar to the Mirage 2000 or Rafale and if we look at the brochures of the MK2, it should be obvious that no internal housing is intended.

5. Demonstration of Rafael ADS Python-5 IIR close combat missile (Related post here)

That was only the idea of an Israeli journalist, based on the "presentation" of Rafael during aero India, but so far there is no official statement on procuring that missile.

Why has the IAF reduced the number of MK2 to be inducted? Wasn't it... 40 LCA Mk 1 aircraft plus 8 Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft on order. Plans to order LCA Mk 2 aircraft for 10 more squadrons (about 180 total aircraft) after completing production of LCA Mk 1

It wasn't reduced, the requirement was always around 6 to 7 x squads, similar to M-MRCA, since both will replace Mig 21s in numbers. The number of MK1 squads were even increased and form the 99 x GE 414 engines around 80 x will be used for IAFs MK2s => 4 x squads. The total number of Mig 21 squads including 2nd line fighters is only 16, so don't expect that many more, when there is hardly a requirement for 2 - 3 x additional squads and it needs to be seen if that will be the optional Rafales, additional FGFAs, or maybe even AMCAs by then, which gives a lot of competition to additional LCAs beyond 2022.

 

[sancho]

All that is pending is the integration of the “beyond visual range”, or BVR, missile. We are obtaining a BVR missile from Israel for integration and demonstration.

That basically confirms that neither Python V, nor R77 will be added as the rumors stated, additional weapons like Sudarshan, Helina, or Kh 35 might come with MK2 and N-LCA.

I’m targeting FOC for end-2014. This is realistic because the design processes are not starting now. The inflight refuelling system was ordered a year ago. Design and development for this has been on-going and some of the work is already half completed. So I am confident.

Confirmation for IFR on MK1

The naval Tejas is a different challenge. We had incorrectly thought that deriving a naval variant from an air force variant would be easier. But, as we learnt, it is the other way round...

...I will not hesitate to say today that deriving a naval variant from an air force variant of the Tejas is a sub-optimal solution. But, having learnt this, the Mark II will be an optimal solution. We will not do any derivative from the air force version. It will be, ab initio, a naval design.

Kudos for having the guts and publically say that ADA overestimated the development and made a mistake!
The only problem is, that they think N-LCA MK2 is an optimal solution and IF they had learned from that mistake, they would develop AMCA as a carrier fighter first and not for the air force again!!!

These are two different classes of aircraft and there is no clash between them. The FGFA is a 30 tonne class heavy fighter with a long range. The AMCA would be a 20 tonne medium fighter, with an extreme range of about 1000 km.

Nor does it clash with the MMRCA. The Rafale is an early-1990s design. It does not fall into the 5th generation in terms of stealth characteristics. So the air force sees a place for the AMCA in its future fleet.

LOL, he actually showed exactly why IAF doesn't need AMCA! FGFA offers stealth and extreme range, while Rafale covers the medium class, not to forget that there will be around 400 x LCAs and MKIs for the next 3 x decades.
It would had been smarter to argue that AMCA would be a more cost-effective alternative to FGFA, but from operational and technical terms, he hardly can argue in favour for AMCA.