Really ? Tejas is that bad that it is still a tech demo ? that is even worse than MiG 21 tbh. I agree on the AMCA side bays though. Secondly, Airframe banane me kitna time lagta hai ? they are saying in 5 years time we will get to see first flight if gov gives a nod to construct it now. 5 bloody years ??
LCA Tejas Mk1 & Mk1A - News and discussions
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The test prototype must be completed by 2022 if they start today. Production must start by 2025 which involves a pvt company(no HAL). South Korean KAI KFX fighter has already started construction and will be ready by 2022 and mass production by 2025.
Exclusive Updates From The HAL Tejas Mk1 & Mk1A Programmes
By DDR Staff - November 26, 2019
Photo : HAL Tejas.
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Mk1 received Final Operational Clearance (FOC) earlier this year during Aero India 2019. Though, this was a watershed moment for the Tejas program, it was however the first part of the FOC process, signifying the finalization of structural design. Software updates to the aircraft are a constant process though. In fact, 14 such updates from the FOC standard have already been ported to the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) standard aircraft which have entered service with No.45 Squadron at the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sulur Air Force Station (SAFS). As such, the FOC process will continue over the next 18 months. Along with 16 FOC standard aircraft, which are already under various stages of building, some eight production standard trainer aircraft are also to be manufactured and supplied to the IAF. Drawings for the manufacture of these trainer aircraft have were received by HAL in July 2019 itself. These trainer aircraft will be capable of aerial refuelling and enter squadron service when ready.
Recent developments with respect to the Tejas Mk1’s capability development
Lack of inert ammunition had kept gun-firing trials for the Tejas Mk1 in abeyance even though the corresponding software ‘patch’ had been ready for a while. Having received the said ammunition recently, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will begin firing trials early next year. Though, ADA says ‘air to air’ gun firing against a moving target is a challenging task, it does not foresee any great hurdles in completing this test point given the availability of experienced pilots overseeing the process at the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC),
Meanwhile, the design of dual carriage pylons for carrying missiles as well as a jammer pod on a single underwing station is complete. Also, a fully capable flight simulator is being built at SAFS and will become operational in 12 months’ time, thereby remedying one of the gaps pointed out in a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the LCA program. Pilots entering 45 Squadron currently train at a simulator at located at ADA, Bengaluru. As such, with squadron service generating high sortie rates, valuable feedback from the IAF is helping fix teething issues in design and manufacturing.
In its report, CAG had also pointed out that a serious lack of coordination was one of the major deficiencies in the management of the LCA program. This was however mitigated by the setting up a committee in 2006 to monitor the progress of the programme with frequent reviews. Today, the program is overseen by a 17 member Project Monitoring Team (PMT) headed by an IAF Officer of Air Marshal rank. NFTC with its 10 experienced pilots also provides valuable inputs to the designers. Maintenance engineers in the PMT as well as personnel from HAL who participate in reviews also provide valuable feedback to the designers to tailor their designs for easier maintenance. Overall, these design-level interactions between the IAF, ADA and HAL are helping refine all fighter aircraft programmes in India, with under development designs even helping upgrade designs closer to production.
For example, apart from structural changes, the HAL Tejas Mark 1A, for which an order of 83 units is soon expected from India’s Ministry of Defence, will feature changes derived from the AMCA and MWF programs. The Tejas Mk-1A will for instance feature a revamped Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) besides incorporating various new Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). While the earlier DFCC was based on the 386 series processor, the new DFCC will feature PowerPC based computing architecture. This dramatically improves computing performance. While the MkI required 24 physical connectors, the newer version would be a press-fit mechanism drastically reducing maintenance overhead.
On engine development
Now as is known, the entire Tejas Mk1, Mk1A and Mk2 i.e. MWF fleet will be equipped with General Electric F404 and F414 series engines. The Kaveri programme has as such failed to deliver a viable domestic engine that can meet the thrust requirements of even the Mk1. Although, the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) has been able to achieve the targeted dry-thrust in the Kaveri engine it has not been able to meet the wet-thrust requirement. Presently, efforts to make use of single-crystal turbine blades developed by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) as well as research into afterburner design is underway at GTRE to ‘fix’ the Kaveri design. Unless, an indigenous engine becomes available when it does, there is currently no plan to develop alternate engine sources for the fleet.
© Delhi Defence Review. Reproducing this content in full without permission is prohibited.
Exclusive Updates From The HAL Tejas Mk1 & Mk1A Programmes | Delhi Defence Review
By DDR Staff - November 26, 2019
Photo : HAL Tejas.
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Mk1 received Final Operational Clearance (FOC) earlier this year during Aero India 2019. Though, this was a watershed moment for the Tejas program, it was however the first part of the FOC process, signifying the finalization of structural design. Software updates to the aircraft are a constant process though. In fact, 14 such updates from the FOC standard have already been ported to the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) standard aircraft which have entered service with No.45 Squadron at the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sulur Air Force Station (SAFS). As such, the FOC process will continue over the next 18 months. Along with 16 FOC standard aircraft, which are already under various stages of building, some eight production standard trainer aircraft are also to be manufactured and supplied to the IAF. Drawings for the manufacture of these trainer aircraft have were received by HAL in July 2019 itself. These trainer aircraft will be capable of aerial refuelling and enter squadron service when ready.
Recent developments with respect to the Tejas Mk1’s capability development
Lack of inert ammunition had kept gun-firing trials for the Tejas Mk1 in abeyance even though the corresponding software ‘patch’ had been ready for a while. Having received the said ammunition recently, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will begin firing trials early next year. Though, ADA says ‘air to air’ gun firing against a moving target is a challenging task, it does not foresee any great hurdles in completing this test point given the availability of experienced pilots overseeing the process at the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC),
Meanwhile, the design of dual carriage pylons for carrying missiles as well as a jammer pod on a single underwing station is complete. Also, a fully capable flight simulator is being built at SAFS and will become operational in 12 months’ time, thereby remedying one of the gaps pointed out in a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the LCA program. Pilots entering 45 Squadron currently train at a simulator at located at ADA, Bengaluru. As such, with squadron service generating high sortie rates, valuable feedback from the IAF is helping fix teething issues in design and manufacturing.
In its report, CAG had also pointed out that a serious lack of coordination was one of the major deficiencies in the management of the LCA program. This was however mitigated by the setting up a committee in 2006 to monitor the progress of the programme with frequent reviews. Today, the program is overseen by a 17 member Project Monitoring Team (PMT) headed by an IAF Officer of Air Marshal rank. NFTC with its 10 experienced pilots also provides valuable inputs to the designers. Maintenance engineers in the PMT as well as personnel from HAL who participate in reviews also provide valuable feedback to the designers to tailor their designs for easier maintenance. Overall, these design-level interactions between the IAF, ADA and HAL are helping refine all fighter aircraft programmes in India, with under development designs even helping upgrade designs closer to production.
For example, apart from structural changes, the HAL Tejas Mark 1A, for which an order of 83 units is soon expected from India’s Ministry of Defence, will feature changes derived from the AMCA and MWF programs. The Tejas Mk-1A will for instance feature a revamped Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) besides incorporating various new Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). While the earlier DFCC was based on the 386 series processor, the new DFCC will feature PowerPC based computing architecture. This dramatically improves computing performance. While the MkI required 24 physical connectors, the newer version would be a press-fit mechanism drastically reducing maintenance overhead.
On engine development
Now as is known, the entire Tejas Mk1, Mk1A and Mk2 i.e. MWF fleet will be equipped with General Electric F404 and F414 series engines. The Kaveri programme has as such failed to deliver a viable domestic engine that can meet the thrust requirements of even the Mk1. Although, the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) has been able to achieve the targeted dry-thrust in the Kaveri engine it has not been able to meet the wet-thrust requirement. Presently, efforts to make use of single-crystal turbine blades developed by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) as well as research into afterburner design is underway at GTRE to ‘fix’ the Kaveri design. Unless, an indigenous engine becomes available when it does, there is currently no plan to develop alternate engine sources for the fleet.
© Delhi Defence Review. Reproducing this content in full without permission is prohibited.
Exclusive Updates From The HAL Tejas Mk1 & Mk1A Programmes | Delhi Defence Review
How many LCA Tejas Mk1 have been delivered to the IAF uptill now?
And when will the production of Tejas Mk1A begin?
And when will the production of Tejas Mk1A begin?
Rs 26k-crore order for building Tejas Mark 1A to open door for Mark 2
After months of negotiations, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) have fixed the price of the TejasMark 1A light combat aircraft (LCA) at about Rs 310 crore per fighter, say Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources involved in the negotiations. Now HAL is awaiting a formal contract, worth some Rs 26,000 crore for building 83 TejasMark 1A fighters that the MoD has already green-lighted for purchase. According to the agreed schedule, delivery of the Mark 1A will begin 36 months after the contract date. If the order is placed at the start of 2020, TejasMark IA deliveries will start in 2023. With 16 fighters to be delivered each year it would take another five years to deliver all 83 fighters – that is by 2028. “We should be signing the contract very soon”, IAF boss, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, had said on October 4. That is now imminent. Girish Deodhare, chief of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) – the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) agency responsible for the Tejas programme – spoke exclusively to Business Standard about the Tejas Mark 1A fighter. He described it as a bridge between the current Tejas Mark 1 and the Mark 2 fighter that ADA is developing. He says the latter will be, from the standpoint of size, sophistication and capability, far superior to the Mark 1 fighter. While the Mark 1A light fighter will have the same fuselage and General Electric (GE) F-404 engine as the Mark 1, the Mark 2 will be a significantly larger medium fighter with the more powerful GE F-414 engine. “Initially the Tejas Mark 2 was planned to be just a re-engined Mark 1 (with a more powerful engine). However, with the advent of the Mark 1A, it was decided that Tejas Mark 2 would be configured with significantly higher capabilities. While the ‘all up weight’ (maximum take-off weight, with fuel and weapons) of Tejas Mark 1 is 13.5 tonnes, the Mark 2 will be 17.5 tonnes, taking it into the medium weight category. It will also carry an 85 per cent higher weapons load,” said Deodhare. While ADA is developing the Mark 2 fighter, HAL is building the Mark 1A, with ADA contributing its expertise in avionics, flight controls, aerodynamics and structural analysis. While the Tejas Mark 2 will be almost a generation ahead of the Mark 1 fighter, even the interim Tejas Mark 1A will be far more capable.
The IAF has demanded five new capabilities in the Mark 1A, including “active electronic scanned array” (AESA) radar, with multi-tasking capability that would give it a clear combat edge over Pakistan’s entire fighter fleet, and most of China’s as well. “The initial batches of the Tejas Mark 1A mayfield an imported AESA radar, but the DRDO is developing its indigenous Uttam AESA radar. As soon as it is proven, the Uttam will start equipping the Tejas Mark 1A,” said Deodhare. The Uttam AESA radar is already flying on a Tejas prototype and has completed 11 successful test flights. “We need to do a couple of more years of flight testing before it is certified and ready for production. Thereafter, all Tejas Mark 1A will incorporate the indigenous radar”, he said. This incremental approach is also evident in the “digital flight control computer” (DFCC) – a fighter aircraft’s brain – that ADA has designed and qualified for the Tejas Mark 2. The upgraded DFCC is ready and qualified, but it could not go into the Mark 1A because it was built bigger to allow easier maintenance access in the larger Mark 2 fighter. “We took the upgraded cards from the Tejas Mark 2’s DFCC and installed them into the smaller Mark 1 DFCC chassis, effectively upgrading it for the Mark IA. The new Mark 1A DFCC will have significantly higher processing power allows us to add many more advanced capabilities in the FCS,” said Deodhare. In addition, the Tejas Mark IA is being upgraded with a “self-protection jammer” (SPJ), also supplied by Elta, which the IAF has demanded in order to confuse incoming missiles. Each Mark 1A fighter will carry a SPJ on a pod under its wing, sharing a mounting station with an air-to-air missile. Giving the Tejas Mark 2 the contemporary look of the Rafale and Eurofighter, it will be built with canards on the front of the fuselage. These fin-like structures serve to make the aircraft unstable, and therefore more manoeuvrable. Deodhare says ADA decided to fit canards after discovering that increasing the Mark 2’s internal fuel capacity to 3300 kilogrammes (from 2400 kg in the Mark1) made the fighter excessively stable. Designing canards near the nose of the aircraft regained its manoeuvrability. “We are targeting the first flight of the Tejas Mark 2 by 2023. We are confident of this since most of the technologies that will go into it are already matured through LCA Mark 1,” said Deodhare.
After months of negotiations, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) have fixed the price of the TejasMark 1A light combat aircraft (LCA) at about Rs 310 crore per fighter, say Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources involved in the negotiations. Now HAL is awaiting a formal contract, worth some Rs 26,000 crore for building 83 TejasMark 1A fighters that the MoD has already green-lighted for purchase. According to the agreed schedule, delivery of the Mark 1A will begin 36 months after the contract date. If the order is placed at the start of 2020, TejasMark IA deliveries will start in 2023. With 16 fighters to be delivered each year it would take another five years to deliver all 83 fighters – that is by 2028. “We should be signing the contract very soon”, IAF boss, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, had said on October 4. That is now imminent. Girish Deodhare, chief of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) – the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) agency responsible for the Tejas programme – spoke exclusively to Business Standard about the Tejas Mark 1A fighter. He described it as a bridge between the current Tejas Mark 1 and the Mark 2 fighter that ADA is developing. He says the latter will be, from the standpoint of size, sophistication and capability, far superior to the Mark 1 fighter. While the Mark 1A light fighter will have the same fuselage and General Electric (GE) F-404 engine as the Mark 1, the Mark 2 will be a significantly larger medium fighter with the more powerful GE F-414 engine. “Initially the Tejas Mark 2 was planned to be just a re-engined Mark 1 (with a more powerful engine). However, with the advent of the Mark 1A, it was decided that Tejas Mark 2 would be configured with significantly higher capabilities. While the ‘all up weight’ (maximum take-off weight, with fuel and weapons) of Tejas Mark 1 is 13.5 tonnes, the Mark 2 will be 17.5 tonnes, taking it into the medium weight category. It will also carry an 85 per cent higher weapons load,” said Deodhare. While ADA is developing the Mark 2 fighter, HAL is building the Mark 1A, with ADA contributing its expertise in avionics, flight controls, aerodynamics and structural analysis. While the Tejas Mark 2 will be almost a generation ahead of the Mark 1 fighter, even the interim Tejas Mark 1A will be far more capable.
The IAF has demanded five new capabilities in the Mark 1A, including “active electronic scanned array” (AESA) radar, with multi-tasking capability that would give it a clear combat edge over Pakistan’s entire fighter fleet, and most of China’s as well. “The initial batches of the Tejas Mark 1A mayfield an imported AESA radar, but the DRDO is developing its indigenous Uttam AESA radar. As soon as it is proven, the Uttam will start equipping the Tejas Mark 1A,” said Deodhare. The Uttam AESA radar is already flying on a Tejas prototype and has completed 11 successful test flights. “We need to do a couple of more years of flight testing before it is certified and ready for production. Thereafter, all Tejas Mark 1A will incorporate the indigenous radar”, he said. This incremental approach is also evident in the “digital flight control computer” (DFCC) – a fighter aircraft’s brain – that ADA has designed and qualified for the Tejas Mark 2. The upgraded DFCC is ready and qualified, but it could not go into the Mark 1A because it was built bigger to allow easier maintenance access in the larger Mark 2 fighter. “We took the upgraded cards from the Tejas Mark 2’s DFCC and installed them into the smaller Mark 1 DFCC chassis, effectively upgrading it for the Mark IA. The new Mark 1A DFCC will have significantly higher processing power allows us to add many more advanced capabilities in the FCS,” said Deodhare. In addition, the Tejas Mark IA is being upgraded with a “self-protection jammer” (SPJ), also supplied by Elta, which the IAF has demanded in order to confuse incoming missiles. Each Mark 1A fighter will carry a SPJ on a pod under its wing, sharing a mounting station with an air-to-air missile. Giving the Tejas Mark 2 the contemporary look of the Rafale and Eurofighter, it will be built with canards on the front of the fuselage. These fin-like structures serve to make the aircraft unstable, and therefore more manoeuvrable. Deodhare says ADA decided to fit canards after discovering that increasing the Mark 2’s internal fuel capacity to 3300 kilogrammes (from 2400 kg in the Mark1) made the fighter excessively stable. Designing canards near the nose of the aircraft regained its manoeuvrability. “We are targeting the first flight of the Tejas Mark 2 by 2023. We are confident of this since most of the technologies that will go into it are already matured through LCA Mark 1,” said Deodhare.
Interesting take from **** :
Tejas Mk-1A Unit price tumbles from $64.5 million to $58.1 million to now to $43.6 million
Published December 17, 2019
SOURCE: TUSHKAR SHIRODKAR
From HAL’s initial quote of Rs 463 crore ( $64.5), the Price for final contract price has now fallen to Rs 310 crore ( $43.6 ). In September media reports had hinted that 417 crores ($58.1) per unit cost in fly-away condition minus its weapons system was agreed upon but as per the latest report by Business Standard, price agreed is Rs 310 crore ( $43.6 ) which is good 32% cheaper then what was quoted by HAL before price negotiation committee was formed.
In comparison to its competitor in the segment, AESA equipped Tejas Mk-1A is still cheaper than Gripen C which costs $63.4 million per unit without AESA Fire control Radar which is only offered on its Gripen E Model which has per unit cost of $85 million. The current deal includes 73 Single Seater Tejas Mk-1A and 10 Tejas Mk1 Trainer. IAF already has placed orders for 8 Tejas Mk1 Trainers in first order for 40 jets which will be manufactured along with 10 more Trainer ordered by IAF first before Tejas Mk1A delivery starts in 2023.
A deal for 83 Tejas Mk1A is likely to be concluded for 26,000 crores will also include 3 simulator costs and additional infrastructure cost which was required to set up an additional production line which also includes investment cost of research and development of upgraded Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft.
According to HAL, if a deal is signed by early 2020 then deliveries of first Tejas Mk1A aircraft to the Indian Air Force will start from 2023 onwards and first and first Mk1A configured aircraft will make its first flight in 2022.
Tejas Mk-1A Unit price tumbles from $64.5 million to $58.1 million to now to $43.6 million – Indian Defence Research Wing .
Tejas Mk-1A Unit price tumbles from $64.5 million to $58.1 million to now to $43.6 million
Published December 17, 2019
SOURCE: TUSHKAR SHIRODKAR
From HAL’s initial quote of Rs 463 crore ( $64.5), the Price for final contract price has now fallen to Rs 310 crore ( $43.6 ). In September media reports had hinted that 417 crores ($58.1) per unit cost in fly-away condition minus its weapons system was agreed upon but as per the latest report by Business Standard, price agreed is Rs 310 crore ( $43.6 ) which is good 32% cheaper then what was quoted by HAL before price negotiation committee was formed.
In comparison to its competitor in the segment, AESA equipped Tejas Mk-1A is still cheaper than Gripen C which costs $63.4 million per unit without AESA Fire control Radar which is only offered on its Gripen E Model which has per unit cost of $85 million. The current deal includes 73 Single Seater Tejas Mk-1A and 10 Tejas Mk1 Trainer. IAF already has placed orders for 8 Tejas Mk1 Trainers in first order for 40 jets which will be manufactured along with 10 more Trainer ordered by IAF first before Tejas Mk1A delivery starts in 2023.
A deal for 83 Tejas Mk1A is likely to be concluded for 26,000 crores will also include 3 simulator costs and additional infrastructure cost which was required to set up an additional production line which also includes investment cost of research and development of upgraded Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft.
According to HAL, if a deal is signed by early 2020 then deliveries of first Tejas Mk1A aircraft to the Indian Air Force will start from 2023 onwards and first and first Mk1A configured aircraft will make its first flight in 2022.
Tejas Mk-1A Unit price tumbles from $64.5 million to $58.1 million to now to $43.6 million – Indian Defence Research Wing .
Aerodynamics (@Aerodynamic111) Tweeted:
Girish Deodhare, chief of the ADA has confirmed that MWF-Mk2 will come equipped with indigenously developed Uttam AESA radar from the start from 2022 when the aircraft will be rolled out for its first flight in 2023, he also confirmed that even though India’s state-owned HAL Aerodynamics on Twitter ( )
Do read the entire thread.
Girish Deodhare, chief of the ADA has confirmed that MWF-Mk2 will come equipped with indigenously developed Uttam AESA radar from the start from 2022 when the aircraft will be rolled out for its first flight in 2023, he also confirmed that even though India’s state-owned HAL Aerodynamics on Twitter ( )
Do read the entire thread.
Progress is Happening though it is slow
We are 5 years behind Schedule
By 2025 , First Squadron of MK 1 A will be fully operational , which ideally should have been ready by 2020
Defence Ministry, IAF bring down 83 LCA deal cost by over Rs 10,000 crore
New Delhi [India], Dec 18 (ANI): Tough negotiations by the Defence Ministry's finance wing and the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have helped in getting the price of the 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) deal by over Rs 10,000 crore.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the Defence Ministry's highest decision-making body on procurement, had, in November 2016, approved purchase of 83 Tejas Mark-1A by the IAF at a cost of Rs 50,025 crore.
"The draft contract of the deal has been readied by the HAL and the cost of the deal has now come down to around Rs 40,000 crore. This is Rs 10,000 crore less than the Acceptance of Necessity given by the Defence Ministry in 2016," defence sources told ANI here.
The Defence Ministry is now hoping to seal the biggest contract ever for the indigenous industry by the defence forces during the Defexpo-2019, scheduled to be held in February in Lucknow-- the constituency of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
In December 2017, the IAF had issued a single-vendor tender to the HAL for procuring 83 LCA, but the negotiations and other related issues have been going on since then mainly due to issues over the price.
The Defence Ministry Finance wing had found the price of the systems offered in the LCA Mark 1A to be on the higher side and the then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had formed a committee to look into the matter.
Since then, there have been several rounds of meetings between the two sides but now the contract is in the final stages of being inked between the two sides.
The aircraft will have improved serviceability, faster weapon-loading time, enhanced survivability, a better electronic warfare suite and Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that will significantly enhance its capability.
The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) had provided the Final Operational Clearance to the Tejas LCA earlier this year during Aero India in Bengaluru approving its capabilities including beyond visual range air-to-air and air-to-ground attack capabilities as well as longer endurance through mid-air refueling.
In a previous order, the IAF had signed a deal with the HAL for 40 Tejas LCAs. So far, around 18 LCAs have been delivered to the IAF from the previous order and one squadron has been formed in Sulur. The 45 squadrons have taken part in multiple exercises and demonstrations to showcase its capabilities to the world. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], Dec 18 (ANI): Tough negotiations by the Defence Ministry's finance wing and the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have helped in getting the price of the 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) deal by over Rs 10,000 crore.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the Defence Ministry's highest decision-making body on procurement, had, in November 2016, approved purchase of 83 Tejas Mark-1A by the IAF at a cost of Rs 50,025 crore.
"The draft contract of the deal has been readied by the HAL and the cost of the deal has now come down to around Rs 40,000 crore. This is Rs 10,000 crore less than the Acceptance of Necessity given by the Defence Ministry in 2016," defence sources told ANI here.
The Defence Ministry is now hoping to seal the biggest contract ever for the indigenous industry by the defence forces during the Defexpo-2019, scheduled to be held in February in Lucknow-- the constituency of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
In December 2017, the IAF had issued a single-vendor tender to the HAL for procuring 83 LCA, but the negotiations and other related issues have been going on since then mainly due to issues over the price.
The Defence Ministry Finance wing had found the price of the systems offered in the LCA Mark 1A to be on the higher side and the then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had formed a committee to look into the matter.
Since then, there have been several rounds of meetings between the two sides but now the contract is in the final stages of being inked between the two sides.
The aircraft will have improved serviceability, faster weapon-loading time, enhanced survivability, a better electronic warfare suite and Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that will significantly enhance its capability.
The Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) had provided the Final Operational Clearance to the Tejas LCA earlier this year during Aero India in Bengaluru approving its capabilities including beyond visual range air-to-air and air-to-ground attack capabilities as well as longer endurance through mid-air refueling.
In a previous order, the IAF had signed a deal with the HAL for 40 Tejas LCAs. So far, around 18 LCAs have been delivered to the IAF from the previous order and one squadron has been formed in Sulur. The 45 squadrons have taken part in multiple exercises and demonstrations to showcase its capabilities to the world. (ANI)
Of course, it will be. UTTAM will get certified 2-3 years max. MWF is 5 more years out.
Although, Uttam will be ready in time for LCA Mk1A's later batches, it's quite unrealistic to expect Uttam on LCA Mk1A from a sustainability PoV.
But it will allow Uttam's production process to be streamlined before MWF deliveries begin and TEDBF and AMCA enter LSP stage. So this is definitely an option IAF should seek because it's best to fix all R&D and production problems possible on Mk1 and Mk1A before the other main programs start bearing fruit.
But it will allow Uttam's production process to be streamlined before MWF deliveries begin and TEDBF and AMCA enter LSP stage. So this is definitely an option IAF should seek because it's best to fix all R&D and production problems possible on Mk1 and Mk1A before the other main programs start bearing fruit.
Aerodynamics (@Aerodynamic111) Tweeted:
LCA-Tejas LSP- jet mounted on a Pylon system on a height of 10 meters above the ground at DRDO’s Orange facility for its Radar Cross Section measurements for enhancing the minor stealth features of the smallest fighter jet in the world. Anup Sayare on Twitter ( )
Interesting thread.
LCA-Tejas LSP- jet mounted on a Pylon system on a height of 10 meters above the ground at DRDO’s Orange facility for its Radar Cross Section measurements for enhancing the minor stealth features of the smallest fighter jet in the world. Anup Sayare on Twitter ( )
Interesting thread.