HAL Tejas LCA (Light Combat Aircraft)

History

HAL Tejas is India's newest and most up-to-date fighter platform, representing the result of indigenous designs that have been developed over decades. HAL Tejas was born out of an initiative within India to produce indigenous fighter designs, and its eventual development stemmed from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program developed in the 1980s to replace the Cold War Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich to replace the MiG The -21 "Fishbed" interceptor subsequently entered service with the Indian Air Force (IAF). It looks like the HAL Tejas will be the second aircraft designed by India's HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) with inherent supersonic capability (the other being the HAL Marut in the 1960s).

Tejas has been in IAF operational service since January 2011, and contracts have been drawn up for approximately 200 single-seat aircraft and an additional 20 two-seat trainers. The Indian Navy is also considering a 40-person order for new mounts to replace its aging Sea Harrier and related trainer fleet.

In 1969, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. was selected by Indian authorities to develop a new multi-role fighter jet. Design studies followed until the project was ultimately shelved due to a lack of suitable engines. After a failed first attempt, the LCA program was launched in 1983 with the primary objective of replacing the MiG-21 and a secondary internal objective of advancing the Indian aviation industry. The MiG-21 has been the backbone of the IAF for decades and has been in large supply, but its days are clearly evident and its long-term usefulness is doubtful given advances in military technology elsewhere in the world.

So far, India has long relied on outside help especially from Soviet-Russian firms Mikoyan and Sukhoi to replenish its aircraft inventory, but the country is advanced enough to find domestic solutions for its military needs.

In terms of armament, the Tejas has an internally mounted 23mm twin-barreled GSh-23 cannon of Soviet origin for close range work. The system can use approximately 220 rounds of 23mm ammunition. Tejas are classified as dual-purpose gun mounts and can use the vast array of ammunition available to the IAF, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, laser-guided weapons and traditional Indian-to-drop weapons and the Russian nature.

These weapons have a total of eight external hardpoints (6 under the wings, 2 under the fuselage). Conventional artillery support will include silent and cluster bombs. In addition to some munitions, the Tejas can be equipped with LITENING targeting pods for precise self-targeting and guidance of laser-guided munitions such as the Kh-59ME TV-guided and Kh-59MK laser-guided munitions.

Anti-ship missiles are also part of the ordnance charge mix. Several petrol stations will also be designed with external fuel tanks of 5 x 800 litres or 3 x 1,200 litres for increased loitering and operating distance.

Finally, in terms of avionics, Tejas will be equipped with an indigenous Pulse Doppler Hybrid MMR (Multimode Radar) system developed by LRDE in Bangalore and HAL Hyderabad. While delays in the program forced the temporary inclusion of Israel's Elta M-2032 system, the completed hybrid MMR system will be able to track 10 targets simultaneously and counter multiple threats simultaneously. The Elta M-2032 Advanced Pulse Doppler Kit with Multimode Fire Control Radar is based on the Lavi design originally installed in Israel. It allows for multi-role functionality and can switch between air-to-air and air-to-ground modes depending on the mission.

The Elta EL/M-2032 has been successfully paired with a variety of American and Soviet/Russian airframes, including the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, Northrop F-5 Tiger, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, Lockheed T-50 Golden Eagle and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 "fish bed".

The Tejas pilot sits behind an all-glass digital cockpit with a Multi-Function Display (MFD) and supports NVG (Night Vision Goggles) goggles. There will also be a standard HUD (head-up display) to display real-time performance numbers and mission information. The pilot controls the airframe through traditional hand-operated throttle stick (HOTAS) functionality and wears a helmet-mounted display and goggles (HMDS).

All together will form a cockpit that will work with the pilot to reduce mission workload and provide relevant mission information while focusing attention on critical cockpit operations. The self-defense kit includes a Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), an integrated jammer, various warning systems to reflect enemy missile pursuit, and conventional chaff and flare dispensers for incoming threats.

Full deployment capability of production-grade Tejas is expected by 2013. The first production models were officially named "Teja Mk I", which were later replaced by the greatly improved "Teja Mk II" model. These will be equipped with more powerful GE 414 series engines. However, the first flight of the latter is not expected until 2014.

Completed airframes are delivered from the HAL facility at a rate of one per month, which means that reaching full operational numbers may be relatively slow.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to procure around 220 Tejas fighter jets in early 2014 to complement an initial order of 20 aircraft.

HAL Tejas LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) Specification

BASICS

MANUFACTURING

ROLES

DIMENSIONS

WEIGHTS

POWER

PERFORMANCE

ARMAMENT

VARIANTS