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Former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who is called Architect behind Indian Air Force (IAF) placing orders for 83 Upgraded Tejas Mk-1A after Initially, it had refused to place orders beyond 20 IOC Configured Tejas Mk-1 and 20 FOC Configured Tejas Mk-1 and instead were more interested in procurement of Tejas Mk-II aircraft which was sanctioned in 2009.
IAF then had told Parrikar that performance shortfalls and maintenance issues were one of the primary reasons why it was not considering procurement of additional Tejas Mk-1 when Questioned by Parrikar on lack of further orders for LCA-Tejas aircraft. later Parrikar held several meetings with all the stakeholders to find a solution and also identify issues and why IAF was not keen on the procurement of additional jets.
According to Parrikar, the following shortcomings were reported in LCA Tejas Mk-I by IAF :
> Absence of Internal Jammer affecting survivability.
> Aircraft performance shortfalls.
> Maintainability issues.
HAL then proposed Upgraded Tejas Mk-1A which will have Modern AESA Radar, Better Maintainability of the aircraft with easy access to LRUs and Panel interchangeability so that composite panels can be used in other aircraft if the need arises. addition of In-flight-refueling Probe and External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod were things which finally got IAF on board on Upgraded Tejas Mk-1A program which was initiated by HAL.
While Tejas Mk-1 did come with a DARE developed Internal Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) but lack of United Electronic warfare (EW) System created severe vulnerability in a contested environment for the aircraft due to which External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod was offered by HAL.
Internal Jammer technology integration into the air frame required about 1000 ltr volume space for integration on aircraft, which Tejas simply didn’t have enough space to accommodate a United Electronic warfare (EW) System Internally due to which External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod was proposed, yet IAF was still not ready to sacrifice one of the seven outer wing stations just to accommodate an EW Pod .
HAL Proposed a Dual Rack Pylon solution which could have enabled Tejas Mk-1A to carry an External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod along with a close Combat Missile (CCM) thus leading to better utilization of all the outer wing stations, which finally convinced IAF to drop an earlier instance of Internal EW System on Tejas Mk-1A.
Israeli developed ELL-8212/22WB External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod is widely used on the Sukhoi-30MKI fleet and Mig-27 fleet and is already integrated into ELM-2052 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar which was selected by HAL after it emerged the lowest bidder in its tender.ELM-2052 AESA already has been integrated into Jaguar Strike aircraft and IAF is already familiar with ELL-8212/22WB which allowed HAL to maintain quick turnaround time to maintain the production tempo of the LCA-Tejas which the assembly line will achieve by 2020.
HAL will have two production line in Bengaluru which can deliver 16 aircraft per year and is already investing in converting its Nashik unit to third production line which will have an additional production capability of 5 aircraft per year so that all 83 Tejas Mk-1A ordered by IAF can be delivered by 2025.
IAF then had told Parrikar that performance shortfalls and maintenance issues were one of the primary reasons why it was not considering procurement of additional Tejas Mk-1 when Questioned by Parrikar on lack of further orders for LCA-Tejas aircraft. later Parrikar held several meetings with all the stakeholders to find a solution and also identify issues and why IAF was not keen on the procurement of additional jets.
According to Parrikar, the following shortcomings were reported in LCA Tejas Mk-I by IAF :
> Absence of Internal Jammer affecting survivability.
> Aircraft performance shortfalls.
> Maintainability issues.
HAL then proposed Upgraded Tejas Mk-1A which will have Modern AESA Radar, Better Maintainability of the aircraft with easy access to LRUs and Panel interchangeability so that composite panels can be used in other aircraft if the need arises. addition of In-flight-refueling Probe and External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod were things which finally got IAF on board on Upgraded Tejas Mk-1A program which was initiated by HAL.
While Tejas Mk-1 did come with a DARE developed Internal Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) but lack of United Electronic warfare (EW) System created severe vulnerability in a contested environment for the aircraft due to which External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod was offered by HAL.
Internal Jammer technology integration into the air frame required about 1000 ltr volume space for integration on aircraft, which Tejas simply didn’t have enough space to accommodate a United Electronic warfare (EW) System Internally due to which External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod was proposed, yet IAF was still not ready to sacrifice one of the seven outer wing stations just to accommodate an EW Pod .
HAL Proposed a Dual Rack Pylon solution which could have enabled Tejas Mk-1A to carry an External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod along with a close Combat Missile (CCM) thus leading to better utilization of all the outer wing stations, which finally convinced IAF to drop an earlier instance of Internal EW System on Tejas Mk-1A.
Israeli developed ELL-8212/22WB External Self Protection Jammer (SPJ) pod is widely used on the Sukhoi-30MKI fleet and Mig-27 fleet and is already integrated into ELM-2052 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar which was selected by HAL after it emerged the lowest bidder in its tender.ELM-2052 AESA already has been integrated into Jaguar Strike aircraft and IAF is already familiar with ELL-8212/22WB which allowed HAL to maintain quick turnaround time to maintain the production tempo of the LCA-Tejas which the assembly line will achieve by 2020.
HAL will have two production line in Bengaluru which can deliver 16 aircraft per year and is already investing in converting its Nashik unit to third production line which will have an additional production capability of 5 aircraft per year so that all 83 Tejas Mk-1A ordered by IAF can be delivered by 2025.
