In what is being seen as a timely and hard show of support to India’s LCA Tejas light fighter program, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said, “We are looking forward to the LCA Mk.2 coming at the earliest. We have made provisions for the program.”
The LCA Mk.2, an improved and more powerful version of the current LCA Tejas, is expected to be ready to fly in three years. With an array of improvements (including in maintainability), better sensors, weapons and engineering changes, it will also be powered by the more powerful GE F414 engine, allowing it a greater operational envelope for more missions. Unlike the LCA Navy Mk.2 which the government decided in 2016 to scrap, the Defence Minister’s word today on the LCA Air Force Mk.2 program comes as a major confidence boost.
The minister’s comments in Delhi today also come at a time when the MoD has just decided to abort a quest to build either F-16s or Gripens in India as part of a single-engine fighter production program. The collapse of that effort is being seen as a significant opportunity to accelerate the Tejas program.
Minister Sitharaman however expressed concern over Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s current rate of LCA Tejas production, saying that production rates needed to be significantly ramped up for the program to be viable and meet IAF requirements. HAL has struggled with production rates for years, but has pledged to accelerate the speed at which it can churn out the light fighters.
“For instance, if the production rate is six per year, we cant wait six years for 36 aircraft,” she said, adding, “We are putting our full energies into the Tejas program.”
The Indian Air Force, which began inducting the Tejas into squadron service last year, currently operates only a handful of jets. Its current orders total 123 aircraft, which includes 20 in intial operational clearance (IOC) configuration, 20 in final operational clearance (FOC) configuration and 83 in an interim Mk.1A configuration, the full contours of which were first reported in detail by Livefist here.
Speaking exclusively to Livefist on the LCA Tejas program, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Dr. S. Christopher has welcomed the Defence Minister’s words.
“I am absolutely confident that the LCA Tejas Mk.2 will meet all requirements in a timely manner. I am also 100 per cent sure of further orders of not just the LCA Mk.1A but at least 200 of the Mk.2. Both of these aircraft will have tremendous export potential,” Christopher said.
Dr Christopher took a sortie in an LCA Tejas in January with IAF test pilot Air Vice Marshal A.P. Singh in the north east.
“The aircraft has matured wonderfully, to the full credit of our teams of engineers and scientists,” Christopher said. “It is a moment of great pride for us, but also a priority to see that the rest of the Tejas journey is very smooth.”
Good support ! Tejas is the only way to get numbers for IAF.
Hope ADA and HAL work together to make Mk2 quickly, that should not have manufacturing teething issues like now.
It also good, RM has pulled up HAL for slow ramp up.
Very good move. Hope ADA-HAL combo delivers.
If HAL says the LCA Mk2 will be ready to fly in 3 years from 2018, the most likely outcome is 5-6 years for the first flight + 3-5 years for FOC.
In Feb 2016, local media reports said that the LCA Tejas Mk 2 will be available for ‘testing’ by 2017 and will not be ready before 2024 citing DRDO chief Dr S Christoper’s remarks to Vayu Aerospace and Defence Review.
In Feb 2015, the first flight of the Mk2 was projected to take place by 2020 according to ADA officials. At this time, the basic design of the Mk2 was said to have been completed.
As you can see, these dates are all over the place.
HAL and pvt aerospace firms need to work together to develop and build enough of the LCA Mk1, 1A and more importantly, the Mk.2 a/c in a timely manner.
Looking ar 201 figure of LCA-2, it appears that HAL insisted >200 order and HAL said ok 201
Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman is arguably one of independent India’s best defence ministers to date. She has taken the wisest and most pragmatic decision, that not only helps secure India’s borders, but also sets us on the path to self-reliance.
That the Tejas Mk.1 and Mk1A already equate the Mirage-2000 — the original MRCA — was already well known, and articulated by IAF’s test pilots themselves. These 2 jets already equal or surpass the abilities of all the MiG-21, MiG-27 and MiG-29s in the IAF. So, inducting large numbers of Tejas Mk1 and Mk1As makes imminent sense to arrest falling numbers due to retiring MiGs.
The Tejas Mk2’s specifications are equivalent to the Gripen-E, and s. Sitharaman has admirably admitted to this. She has wisely chosen to pour scarce resources to develop the Mk2 instead of financing foreign aircraft makers like Gripen and F-16. Thus, the Tejas Mk.2 can act as the MMRCA / SEF of the IAF.
Let’s also hope that there is no renewal of the erstwhile MRCA contest with twin-engine jets ! In any case, all of them are so bloated, that they approach the Su-30 MKI in specs; take the Rafale, Typhoon or MiG-35 for example. When we’re already upgrading our MKIs and ramping up Tejas production, no new fighter jet needs to be imported at all.
The support and commitment by The RM and IAF to the Tejas in various avtaars is sensible and laudable. The IAF has quietly gone about inducting the Tejas without fanfare or rants as befits a professional force. However the contention of some posters in multiple forums that it is better than the Mirage or the MiG -29 is fallacious. Not because the Tejas is not good but because it was never designed to be so. The Mk 2 on the other hand will match those capabilities and will hopefully surpass some of them if not all. Time will tell. But the biggest USP for the Mk2 would be 1. It will be mostly home grown and 2. It will fill in the very important gap of low end volume that can make or break a force. Hopefully the ADA and HAL will pull their weight and deliver a good product on time and cost. considering the learning experience of the Mk1 and 1A one doesn’t see why not.
I pray and hope that HAL & DRDO deliver this time for the sake of this nation,also i hope that kaveri engines gets this same level of support and in near future a supercruising thrust vector added engine with FADEC is designed developed and produced in india
For to be realist, Some bigest issues on tejas mk1, it is under powered, it is overweight, it doesn’t have aesa, his nose is to small, it doesnt have no survivability, some big aero dynamic issue, it cannot turn and agility is very poor, face to other jet, it will be in trouble. the LCA mean light class aircraft. It is first toy prototyp of india, take experience and do better the next one. i hope all issues will be fixed for the tejas mk2. with kaveri fixed by safran, it will be surely better
Why can’t the pvt sector be involved in LCA production , both HAL and a private enterprise can manufacture 20 LCAs in a year with LTSA built in the contract to ensure 75% fleet availability
It’s high time that production of Tejas fighters is stepped up to about 20-22 aircrafts/annum.Several components can be given to private firms for manufacture.Automation should be the top priority in production.
First Ms Sitharaman should form consortium of Indian pvt firms who can invest in fighter and other military platform making. ADA,DRDO and HAL should lead fighter making in PSU and Pvt sector with a mindset not to compete but with hand holding to achieve national goal.Joint effort should make 6 fighters per month comprising of Tejas1A,Tejas-II,twin engine MCA followed by AMCA anf PMF as required by IAF,Navy and for export.
Good that the IAF will slowly emerge from its acronym of Imported Air Force. – But the sooner the beter. There are two companies in the PVT sector who have tied up in the past for the single engine fighter. These two groups can be harnessed to build upto 12 fighters each which will bring the total fighters to 36 per year. Good enough to sustain the IAF till the 5th Gen AMCA is fully operational.Does the IAF/HAL/RM have the stomach for it ????