IAF to Buy 83 more Tejas fighters from HAL instead of foreign jets, CDS Rawat says

[Imran Khan]

Good for JF 17 program.

jf-17 program is few light years ahead of them they can not catch us now .

 

[mig25]

Fo Pakistan, with this development, PAF is in touching distance to the much discussed F-16s/SU-35 or probably even the Rafale.

For India, this is a much needed blessing to nurture and further develop our industries and their capabilities. This attention was needed. When economy improves, we can get back to the market to seek some sophisticated planes if and when needed.

 

[Bossman]

Like their previous attempts the Marut and the Ajeet, Tejas will go straight from the factory to the junkyard. With production rate of 4/5 planes per year it will take twenty years to complete the order by then it will only be good for the junkyard.

 

[Mrc]

pakistan should not get the guard down due to this....

this is just to feed some local mouths who are highly connected. IAF will buy further advanced aircraft in near future.

there should be full speed ahead for project AZM

 

[Raj-Hindustani]

jf-17 program is few light years ahead of them they can not catch us now .

I m not sure what does mean by light years.

I could see only jf 17 block 3 with p15 missile could be a threat to IAF.. I don't count block 1 and 2.

Same goes to 1st 40, HAL Tejas... MIG 29 and mirage 2000.

Real game changer will be jf 17 block 3 and HAL Tejas Mk1a... And both still need to come. Most properly, Pakistan will get by 2021 and India will get by 2023-24...

After a years, India will have a one advantage because HAL Tejas is not a OEM product.

 

[MilSpec]

If I still had the liberty to delete a few posts, I would have it.

If I still had the liberty to delete a few Threads, I would.

Sarcasm apart,
Good to see here, hope you are doing well.

 

[Jungibaaz]

For a novice like me, can you explain the shortcomings? A few points would suffice. Also, for comparison's sake, what aircraft would have those pointers.

Don't get me wrong, it had a lot going for it, even the first batch of Tejas has HMD, EL/M-2032, fully digital FBW, lots of composites, and all important GE404. A lot of other really big issues were dealt with between Mk1 and Mk1A such as panel interchangeability and other maintenance related, without which Mk1 would be plagued with maintenance issues.

But the compound delta configuration has been experimented with a lot, and it's still being changed, it suffered energy bleed, poor sustained turn rates (expected ofc), very low aspect ratio. They tried LERX, but I don't think it did the trick. That's why later last year HAL showed Mk2 with canards, since moving LERX didn't cut it. You can hope that this'll be the last change, although these days it's less of a problem with HOBS + HMD. The rest I can only guess at what might have led HAL failing to deliver the project on time, time and time again and not according to requirements. IAF as a result hasn't seemed that interested in the past few years either.

If I still had the liberty to delete a few Threads, I would.

Sarcasm apart,
Good to see here, hope you are doing well.

Thanks buddy, I'm doing well. Nice to catch up.

 

[drumstick]

Talk about age-old mirages, yours were top of the line Mirage-2000I, the swift retort mirages which we used to carry out strikes were age-old Mirage-5PA/IIIDA. Both countries demonstrated the capability of striking one another at stand off range, even the capability to do so without entering enemy airspace. The difference is yours missed their mark in a surprise night raid, ours made their mark in a clear morning despite the enemy being forewarned a day earlier.

Tejas is a good platform, has some short-comings from the IAF's perspective. I'm not going to troll you here, but let's just keep things in perspective.

i respect your view. there is plenty to talk about the Feb 26th airstrikes. i think and agree that this is not the thread. but this must be followed by posters from both sides.

 

[Joe Shearer]

I thought you were going to help us out by NOT responding to trolling and just reporting it?

Oops.

Sorry.

 

[PradoTLC]

https://theprint.in/defence/iaf-to-...nstead-of-foreign-jets-cds-rawat-says/421827/

The induction of Tejas will help India emerge as a key defence exporter due to its ‘relatively low price’, Rawat says.
SUDHI RANJAN SEN 14 May, 2020 7:54 pm IST

LCA Tejas. | Twitter | @DRDO_India
Text Size:
New Delhi: India plans to switch to locally-made fighter jets, two years after asking global companies to submit proposals to supply 114 combat aircraft in the world’s biggest warplane contract.

The country’s air force is finalizing plans to induct indigenously made Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas to boost the capability of its aging combat aircraft fleet, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat said in an interview in New Delhi. It will buy an additional 83 jets, apart from an earlier deal for 40 aircraft, for $6 billion, he said.


“The Indian Air Force is switching that to the LCA,” Rawat said, when asked about the global tender for jets. “The IAF is saying, I would rather take the indigenous fighter, it is good.”


The decision is a set back for the likes of Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and Saab AB who were in the race for the $15 billion order and another sign that India is abandoning costly foreign defense purchases which have been plagued by bureaucratic delays and a funding crunch. Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week stressed the need to buy locally made products to boost an economy battered by the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Since it has been decided to go the indigenous route, the Ministry of Defence must ensure ramping up” capacity at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., the builder of the jet, said Manmohan Bahadur, additional director general at the New Delhi-based Centre for Airpower Studies. “The IAF, like the other services, has to maintain the required edge over our adversaries — emotions have to be eschewed.”


The induction of jets will help India emerge as a key defense exporter due to its “relatively low price,” Rawat said in his office in New Delhi. Several countries may be interested in purchasing the aircraft once they see them in operation with the airforce.


The process to buy fighter jets started more than a decade ago. India scrapped a long-awaited order with Dassault Aviation for 126 Rafales worth $11 billion in 2015, but has since bought 36 of the planes to speed replacement of older aircraft.

In April 2018, India floated a global tender seeking responses from global manufacturers to purchase 114 jets. The deal attracted initial offers from global giants like Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Sweden’s Saab AB and the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30Mki and Su-35. At least 85% of production was to be in India, according to the initial document.


While New Delhi is the world’s third-biggest military spender, its air force, navy and the army are still equipped with weapons that are largely obsolete.

Local Production
The move to indigenous fighters marks a shift to start using locally made weaponry, Rawat said. The defense forces will be using a lot more domestically produced goods, and there is an understanding there may be some quality issues in the beginning, but these will be improved, he said.

“The artillery guns, air defense systems and radars will all be indigenous systems as well. We are doing well with artillery guns and in air defense systems,” he added. “We are also looking at ammunition manufacturing in our country in a very big way.”


Modi had made clear his intention of reducing India’s dependence on foreign made weapons platforms soon after taking over as leader in 2014 but the progress hasn’t been remarkable.

India desperately needs new aircraft to replace aging Soviet-era jets. It needs about 42 squadrons of fighters to defend its western and northern borders simultaneously but is making do with about 31 squadrons only. By 2022, it is likely to add on two more squadrons of the Rafale fighter.

While the IAF is backing the indigenous fighter program, there are several glitches, including faster delivery schedules and quality issues that still need to be ironed out. As per plans, the 123 Tejas fighters are to be followed by the Mark-II variant which are medium weight fighters. The test flight for the next generation Tejas aircraft is likely in 2022.


U.S., China and India were the world’s three biggest military spenders in 2019, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia. The two Asian countries made it to the top three for the first time according to a recent report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. For the fiscal 2020-21 India has earmarked $ 66.9 billion for defense but budget cuts are imminent because of CoVID-19 pandemic. – Bloomberg

India and flying don’t mix....

Poor nation who will actually buy such a stupid plane

 

[Foxtrot Delta]

no matter tejas or rafale or f-21 or f-18 in the end an indian will be flying it over indian skies and that is enough for us pakistaniz as an encouragement and a fact

 

[alikazmi007]

flying samosa that will land in sea of chutney.

will really compliment the "Fantastic Tea" we provide, pun intended!

 

[Archie]

Why? Is Rafael not cutting it for India? After Rafael, will Tejas take IAF to the next levels?

In defense, cost matters when two equally functional products had a price gap. Tejas is not functional (or capable as Rafael) and India going for Tejas because of pricing makes no sense.

Trolling aside
U have a point
83 Tejas cost less than 36 Rafales
They will come equipped with Elta2052 AESA radar, i Derby and Astra bvr and tried and tested Ge404 engines

Good for JF 17 program.

Can u explain how much of JF 17 is Pakistanis
Coz all I see is a Chinese design , which was rejected by plaaf , flying using Russian engines and equipped with Chinese radars, avionics and Missiles

At least Tejas is an Indian design with Indian avionics and EW suite as well as an Indian Bvraam Astra

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

no matter tejas or rafale or f-21 or f-18 in the end an indian will be flying it over indian skies and that is enough for us pakistaniz as an encouragement and a fact

How could you read my mind????

Tejas is the fallback
The Indians don't have a option
They were always due to get more then the eternal initial order of 40 Tejas made back in ancient times
We've heard this 83 figure follow on for years
They just can't afford to buy the foreign order

What Pak thinks today India thinks tomorrow....

 

[Archie]

Keep on crying we own 58 percent of the aircraft and exported to 2 countries already. While tejas is still on that truck and what did you Indians achieve by licensed production of Soviet aircraft?? Nothing you guys just copied MIRAGE DESIGN and IMPORT everything except bolts and claim its indigenous you are DELUSIONAL and kindly come back here when Tejas is inducted in large numbers like JF 17 and is Combat ready and don't forget it was JF 17 which dropped REKs on Indian installations on 27 feb so it is also combat proven can your indigenous 7 gen Tejas do that?? Oh I remember its still on the truck.

U still didn't answer my question
Ranting is one thing
Kindly mention what is Pakistan's contribution to JF 17
Which part was actually designed in Pakistan

Btw Tejas is in combat service since 2017

We have the first squadron ready with 18 aircrafts and the second squadron is under induction
IAF will induct 83 units of Mk1A
Which improves the Radar, EW suite, and adds mid air refueling