Might be but on paper.
Gripen is a proven fighter and is as good as the block 52 f-16.
We will see what the lca mk2 is upto when developed.because the LCA mk1 was suppose to have 5ton payload but now less than 4 ton.and 5.5t empty weight now 6.5t.
beside this by than we will have JFT 3 in production aswell.A fighter that would be almost the size of medium class fighter with 11 hardpoints,more than 16t MTOW.ws-13b with 121kn thrust and much more.
But again JFT 3 is still years away
Not on paper it demonstrated it on the skies in Aeroindia -2013, and on the Goa skies in hot trials.
No amount of hard points is going to help JFT a inferior design fighter ,
because tejas mk-1 has a higher powered radar ,and lower clean config RCS, higher thrust to weight ratio than JFT in any configuration,
So tejas will always see first shoot first, What would a JFT pilot do when he cannot get a radar lock on LCA tejas mk-1 when tejas fires it's BVRs against the JFT.
And much worse with lower power to weight ratio and high empty weight JFT does not have the kinematics to escape as well.
1.Original Sustained turn rate requirement for Tejas was 17 deg per second ,
now ,
It is 20 degree per second,(with 6Gs and AOA restriction of about 20 deg it does 18 deg per second plus, So once the FCS is fully opened up to 24-26 deg AOA and full 8G turn capability it can do 20 deg per second as Grippen C/D)
2. The original top speed requirement was mach 1.5,
now,
It has done mach 1.6 and it's design top speed to be achieved at FOC is mach 1.8( in MK-2 version it is going to be Mach 2plus)
3. It's original max take off weight is 12.5 tons
now,
Tejas mk-1 lifts 13.2 tons at take off,
4. Originally it was to fire 60 Kg 40 Km range BVRs only,
now,
MK-1 t can fire any BVR with any weight that can hit target at 120 Km + range,
5. It was not meant to have OBORG, 120 Km + range trackig radar and in flight refuelling probe,
now it has,
6. Original Instantaneous turn rate was supposed to be 30 deg per second equal to Mirage ,
now,
According to test pilots it handles sharper than Mirage(Since it has ten percent more thrust to weight ratio and even lower wing loading than Mirage-2000 , it will have a much better instantaneous turn rate than Mirage exceeding the original design goal),
7. Originally it was meant to fly forever with 84Kn engine with a max thrust to Weight ratio of 1.07(half fuel, two BVR missiles+empty weight taken for weight/ Max thrust )
now
Thanks to AMCA program it will have 100 KN K-10 as a mid life upgrade,
8. originally it was to have a weapon load of 4 tons,
now ,
it will carry close to 3600 Kg plus with full fuel on take off, and once 400 Kg weighing telemetry instruments are removed , it may carry design weapon load as well
9.it's original sea level top speed was to be mach 1,
now ,
It does mach 1.1
10. Originally it was slated to fly with doppler radar,
now
In mk-2 it is supposed to have ASEA radar.
So a lot of things about tejas has changed but only for the better,
Now it's specs are quite comparable to F-16 C/D and grippen C/D in Mk-1 version.
In mk-2 tejas is supposed to have a TWR of 1.27 equal to RAFALE TWR and 5 ton pay load.
With an clean config RCS many times less than any other PAF fighter , it can shoot them out of the sky like pigeons without even being tracked by their radar with 120 plus Km range BVR any day any time.
So whatever that has changed for Tejas in ASR has changed for the better only, SO no worry about gain in empty weight.
