Naval LCA Tejas

[Defcon 1]

Rafale M is a distant dream. So lets keep it out of discussion.

Mig-29K, 45 ordered and capped. Availablity 60% ( it's russian, not even manufactured in India so i assume it's availability is no better than of SU-30 MKI's). That's 27 Mig-29s for a requirement of 60 fighters over two carriers. Some of it will still be required to be shore based. So how many can actually be put to use during combat? Less than 15 per carrier. In contrast 60 NLCA MK-2 has been ordered. Availablity 80%. That's 48 aircraft available at any given time. Starting 2024 when NLCA MK-2 would be a new top of the line fighter, Mig-29s would be a 15 years old fighter. Now it should be obvious why i said NLCA will be principal fighter of carrier borne fleet.

As per broadsword NLCA MK-2 should carry 3.5 tons of weapons in addition to full load of internal fuel when operating from carrier. Considering MK-2 is a significantly improved design it's pylons should carry a load more than 1200 kg limit that is there in MK-1. In this regard carrying 2x Brahmos NG on two in-board pylons does not seems infeasible to me. You can always send few NLCA MK-2s in air to air configuration as escort.

Dear sir, while we are discussing hypothetical scenarios here when NLCA Mk-2 is 10 years away and no public info on availability of Mig 29K, even if we agree that whatever you have written above is correct, if we arm an NLCA with 2x Brahmos NG, it will consume all its carrying capacity, leaving no space for BVR missiles (which will be required even with an escort) and drop tanks (without which the combat radius will be highly constrained). An NLCA Mk2 armed with 2 Brahmos only will be useless in most situations due to its limited range and high vulnerable to attack?

Wouldn't it be better to arm a Mig29K, (with external stores capacity of 6000 kg) which can carry 2 Brahmos, 2 BVR missiles, some 2400 kg of external fuel, and have NLCAs as escort to that? Why the pressing requirement to arm NLCA with Brahmos NG as well? Its not like the navy is doomed unless all of its fighters are armed with Brahmos NG. The missile is good and it doesn't require barrage of attacks from multiple fighters to be effective.

 

[ersakthivel]

Wrong assumptions here. The N-LCA will NEVER be the primary fighter asset of the Navy, it simply makes no sense. It is a LIGHT aircraft by definition and thus ill-suited for carrier ops to begin with. The IN is nurturing the N-LCA for the sake of the local industry and hoping bigger and better things come from it but do not confuse yourself that it will be used as the primary strike asset of the IN. At most the NLCA will support the fleet in CAP/BARCAP but IMO it will see limited operational/deployed service at sea.

It makes A LOT more sense to intergrate the Brahmos on the MiG-29K and Rafale-M that will serve the IN as their primary strike assets and are vastly more suited to do so.

I dont think that IN is hand holding local industry by spending its precious little budget money on tejas mk2!!!

Other than the Mig-29 right now they have no other option for their carrier fleet, which they hope to expand substantially,

And russians of late are not generous in letting indians integrate whatever weapon system they want .

SO tejas mk2 is a very vital back up option if something goes wrong with mig-29 K, which were all brand new developmental fighters solely used by IN.

But tejas mk2 may end up as a useful little back up fighter at much lesser cost , with hundred percent reliability

 

[abingdonboy]

I dont think that IN is hand holding local industry by spending its precious little budget money on tejas mk2!!!

Other than the Mig-29 right now they have no other option for their carrier fleet, which they hope to expand substantially,

And russians of late are not generous in letting indians integrate whatever weapon system they want .

SO tejas mk2 is a very vital back up option if something goes wrong with mig-29 K, which were all brand new developmental fighters solely used by IN.

But tejas mk2 may end up as a useful little back up fighter at much lesser cost , with hundred percent reliability

There is no merit or logic to this analysis bro, it is very bizzare rhetoric that doesn't reflect common sense.

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas Fighter

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas Fighter

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas Fighter

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas Fighter

 

[HariPrasad-1]

Landing gear was too heavy in MK1 navy. There was a plan to reduce the weight. Is that done to some extent in MK2? A question to all.

 

[WolfPack86]

LCA Naval Tejas Fighter

 

[Kunal Biswas]

MiG-29K has engine failure, airframe issues: CAG report
New Delhi, July 26

Pointing at occurrence of mid-air engine failures and defects in the airframe of the naval fighter jet the MiG-29K, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report today questioned the safety and actual availability of the plane.

Serviceability of MiG29K is low, ranging from 15.93 per cent to 37.63 per cent, and that of MiG-29KUB (the trainer version), ranging from 21.30 per cent to 47.14 per cent. “Serviceability” implies that the aircraft is available and is not undergoing a scheduled repair or overhaul at any level. “It is clear that the serviceability of MiG-29K was unsatisfactory,” the report said.

The CAG said the life of the aircraft was 6,000 hours or 25 years (whichever is earlier) and with issues facing the plane, the operational life of the aircraft already delivered would be reduced.

Source :

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/na...ailure-airframe-issues-cag-report/271853.html

http://scroll.in/latest/812560/newl...nes-are-riddled-with-problems-says-cag-report

==============

Its seems like what told is true ..

@Rahul Singh

@ersakthivel

 

[Rahul Singh]

It's worse than i had previously guessed. At this rate of availability is no more than 10 Mig-29s for carrier operations.

But why blame Russians, they have always been like this. They manage this with large numbers. Unfortunately we can't manage like them. So we have no option other than going indigenous. Considering our large requirement this route should have always been our first choice. But alas navy knows but rest just loves to be ignorant.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

I had read that NAVAL LCA flies better than airforce tejas. Does anybody has any idea about it? We observe a phenomenal climb rate in ski jump at goa? Does it have a better aerodynamics than Airforce tejas? What roll does wing root lavcon play in its performance?
@ersakthivel

 

[Yumdoot]

Heh heh Shashi Kant at it again. Everytime he knows his record as Defence Secretary will be called into question he finalizes a CAG report.

The man has completed 55 reports till date. You remember the last one on LCA.

Just a few days back it was revealed how western and ukrainian sanctions on Russia have ensured that further equipment on Mig-29K can only be fitted while on flightline. So off course there has to be a report to deflect the attention from the main issue. Why was Shahi Kant silent when he was defence secretary and these western equipments were being ordered with no regard to possible sanctions. Off course it was all a going concern assumption till then. But now that the world knows that changes are being made on the flightline he must have a report to save the MMS decisions which were made with Shashi Kant's decision support services.

Anyhow whatever is left un-done by Shashi Kant, the desi media can be expected to complete.

10 single engined landings imply that there is so much margin of safety because of twin engines. Had it been single engined fighter you would have gotten at least 10 crashes and a few pilots dead.

And about the mythical reliability of western engines. Check out the Rafale-M record. They lost 6 Rafale-M out of the 45 odd manufactured.

Desi media goes to town, riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in its cap, and called it Macaroni.


Oh and do note per media the Shashi Kant report mentions "Serviceability of MiG29K is low, ranging from 15.93 per cent to 37.63 per cent".

Its neither average availability nor specifics. Most likely these are highest and lowest figures for an item by item availability rate. I will wait on this funny audit methodology till the real report comes in.