on Jun 28, 2023)The much-delayed, India-made Tejas Mk 2 light combat aircraft (LCA) could be ready for its maiden flight by 2025 with an American engine, according to Prabhulla Chandran VK, director of avionics and weapons systems at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the nodal agency for the design of the indigenous fighter.
The Central Scientific Instrumentation Organisation, which had designed the head-up display (HUD) for Tejas Mk 1, is also involved in the manufacture of the HUD for the Tejas Mk 2. Prior to the US collaboration, India was looking at France and Rolls Royce for the engine manufacture.
Director avionics, ADA — the nodal agency for the design of Tejas Mk 2 — who was in Chandigarh to attend a national conference on “Avionics technologies and display systems 2023” organised by the CSIO on Tuesday, said around 200 such fighters shall be rolled out.
After the Cabinet Committee on Security led by PM Narendra Modi had cleared the project to develop the LCA last year, the emphasis on indigenously designed engine for the fighter plane had left the project in limbo. “With this new pact, 90% of the components will be indigenous and the focus will be on state-of-the-art radar systems, weapons, and other capabilities.
The one-engine fighter is better than Rafale,” said Prabhulla. The radar, avionics, HUD, weapons and few optical sensors are developed by the Indian manufacturers for Tejas Mk 2. “A radar costs around Rs 25-40 crore depending on the number of sensors, so this will curtail the price extensively.
Only the ejection seat and few sensors are imported from elsewhere in this fighter,” he added. There are 300 institutions working for the development of the indigenous LCA including CSIR laboratories, public and private sectors. “The basic design is totally different from the Mk1.It is 20% larger than MK1, has greater capacity, state-of-the-art avionics and range as well as higher weapon carrying capacity, which we are yet to announce. This fighter plane will have only one version. We might go in for a trainer plane later,” said the director avionics, ADA.
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