India – Know About Light Combat Aircraft - LCA TEJAS

India – Know About Light Combat Aircraft - LCA TEJAS -


Updated on Sunday, January 20, 2013

Reality Views by sm -

In 1983, India started a project to develop an aircraft to replace its aging Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s since the 1970s as the Air Force's primary multi-role tactical fighter.

To start this project in the year 1984 Indian Government established the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to manage the LCA project.


The LCA is the smallest and lightest combat jet in the world
The LCA is a tail-less compound delta platform with relaxed static stability.
Because of smallness, and airframe that do not reflect radar waves and radar absorbent material Ram coating, the LCA will exhibit a very low RCS to radar detections from airborne enemy aircraft and AWACS.

The Y-duct intake shields the engine compressor from radar waves.
LCA is expected to be highly maneuverable by virtue of its double delta wing and relaxed static unstability of its Fly-By-Wire system
Tejas provides offer flexibility in the choice of weapons as it got 7 weapon stations as well as it got the provision of drop tanks and inflight refueling.
Multi-mode radar (MMR), the primary mission sensor of the Tejas in its air defence role, will be a key determinant of the operational effectiveness of the fighter.

Kaveri Engine Project which failed was separated from LCA project in the year 2008.
All flight test related activities of LCA are planned, coordinated and carried out by the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC), set up with the participation of Indian Air Force, ADA and HAL.
Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal is the First pilot to fly LCA-Tejas TD1 KH-2001 04 January 2001 on its first maiden flight.

Sqn Ldr Suneet Krishna became the First pilot who Crossed 100 hours in lca-tejas
To support the aircraft a dome-based Mission Simulator has been developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bangalore

The LCA's coherent pulse-Doppler Multi-Mode Radar is designed to keep track of a maximum of 10 targets and allows simultaneous multiple-target engagement.
Currently 70% LCA Tejas is made in India and in coming years The Tejas will become 100% made in India. Currently only 30% parts are imported which will be replaced by made in India parts in coming years.

The first squadron of the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will be deployed down south in Tamil Nadu


Specifications ( HAL Tejas MK-I )
1. Crew: One
2. Length: 13.20 m (43 ft 4 in)
3. Wingspan: 8.20 m (26 ft 11 in)
4. Height: 4.40 m (14 ft 9 in)
5. Wing area: 38.4 m² (413 ft²)
6. Empty weight: 6,500 kg (14,300 lb)
7. Loaded weight: 10,500 kg (23,100 lb)
8. Maximum speed: Mach 1.8, 1,920 km/h (1,195 mph) at high altitude
9. Range: 850 km (530 mi)
10. Service ceiling: 15,250 m (50,000 ft)
11. Wing loading: 221.4 kg/m² (45.35 lb/ft²)
12. Thrust/weight: 1.07
13. Internal fuel capacity: 3000 liters
14. External fuel capacity: 5×800 liter tanks or 3×1,200 liter tanks, totaling 4,000/3,600 liters
15. Program cost US$1.2 billion
16. Unit cost US$21 million
17. US$31.09 million (Naval version)


Armament -

1. Guns: 1× mounted 23 mm twin-barrel GSh-23 cannon with 220 rounds of ammunition.
Hard points:
1. 8 total: 1× beneath the port-side intake trunk, 6× under-wing, and 1× under-fuselage with a capacity of >4000 kg external fuel and ordnance


Missiles:

Air-to-air missiles:
1. Python 5
2. Derby
3. Astra BVRAAM
4. Vympel R-77 (NATO reporting name: AA-12 Adder)
5. Vympel R-73 (NATO reporting name: AA-11 Archer)


Air-to-surface missiles:
1. Kh-59ME TV guided standoff Missile
2. Kh-59MK Laser guided standoff Missile
3. Anti-ship missile
4. Kh-35
5. Kh-31
Bombs:
1. KAB-1500L laser guided bombs
2. FAB-500T dumb bombs
3. OFAB-250-270 dumb bombs
4. OFAB-100-120 dumb bombs
5. RBK-500 cluster bombs

Avionics
EL/M-2052 AESA radar

Mark 2 Tejas Info -

Currently LCA Tejas is Mark 1 version, but it is expected that around year 2014 Tejas with Mark 2 version will start to fly and their production will start in India.
Mark 2 version Tejas will be more advanced .
Currently IAF has ordered 40 Tejas fighter aircrafts and IAF is thinking to place the order of 125 Mark 2 version LCA Tejas.

Why LCA Tejas project got delayed ?
The delay in development of the LCA was attributed mainly to India's lack of experience in designing sophisticated fighter aircraft. India had only previously manufactured a second generation fighter (HF-24 Marut) in the late 1950s.
This is the reality of India.

Watch The Video - LCA Tejas in action & ADA infrastructure –



Watch the Video LCA Tejas fires R-73 missile



Below is the photo of LCA Tejas –



LCA TEJAS DOING INVERTED PASS BY FLY WIRE -
SEE THE PICTURE AND UNDERSTAND THE TERM.


Updated on Monday, January 10, 2011 –

Home made fighter aircraft handed over to the Indian Air Force on Monday for what is called an initial operational clearance.

The multi-role supersonic aircraft have undergone a series of tests. Tejas has completed all test points for low level flights, off the coast of Goa.

It has also conducted operations in the extreme climate of Leh and operated from an IAF air base in the South Western Air Command.

The Light Combat Aircraft project was sanctioned for an initial cost of Rs 3301 crore but because of delays cost of the project was increased to around Rs 5778 crore.


Updated on Sunday, January 20, 2013

India and the US have finalized a Rs 3000-crore deal for supplying 99 jet engines to be used in the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’ being developed by the DRDO.

The engine on offer for the LCA Mark II is GE F-414 engine, which are more powerful that the GE F-404 engines fitted in the first batch of LCAs that the Indian Air Force would receive in near future.

The need for changing the existing engines in the LCAs was felt after the IAF found out that the GE-404 engines were not providing enough power to the aircraft and more powerful engines were needed for the purpose.

The DRDO is developing the LCA Mk II to meet the Air Force requirements and it will have latest technological equipment including the Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar and would be able to carry more payload than the LCA Mk I.

Tags - LCA Tejas