ADA Tejas Mark-II/Medium Weight Fighter

[Shekhar Singh]

Can you tell me which weapon was used in Rudra? Except for cannon and Mistral ,Rudra had very limited weapons. The integration was done by France and they would not give the codes.

Entire Rudra as well as LCH had to be developed indigenous systems. That took time.


The FBW has to change somewhat but the avionics, fire control, weapons Integration, radar etc are available. Even FBW changes are minimal in terms of additional controls. It is not the FBW but the other weapons software that takes time. Why do you think it takes 7-8 years to make a radar? The radar module is simple electronics but the software part is the hardest


The empty weight will be higher as increase in 1.35m length (as said in livefist interview), increase in engine size & its chassis, addition on internal system like IRST, EW suite etc will increase the empty weight from current 6.6 ton to 7.5 ton. Additional weight like pilot, coolant etc will be another 500kg. So, the expected payload may be 6ton. 6.5ton is only desirable payload but may not be practical

No! Not like that. HAL is going to reduce the weight of mk1 by 1000 kg in MK1A by changes in ballast and landing gear. So the same is not going to be problem in MWF also. Second, the dimensions of GE 404 and GE414 are same and GE414 is only 74 kg heavier than Ge404. IRST is hardly 40 50 kg. Rest of your calculations are correct but considering the weight of mk1 6.6 ton is not correct because it is already reduced significantly in MK1A.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

naval version of the LCA Mk2 will require an increased-thrust engine, reduced weight, an increased wing area, and a tailhook. “We have to move on towards a twin-engined deck-based CATOBAR [aatapult assisted take-off but arrested recovery] fighter,” chief of naval staff Sunil Lanba told AIN.

Correct. The biggest mistake HAL did was to develop HTFE 25 engine. Had this been a HTFE 35 with 52 kn Wet thrust, we could have used it in JAGUAR as well as Tejas Mk2 Navy or in Tejas Mk2 air-force in twine engine configuration. Stupidity of HAL will cost us high. HAL should start HTFE 35 or 37 with 54 KN wet thrust immediately with a dead line to make it operational within 3 years. Because the similar engine is not available, US company has quoted a very price and it is simply blackmailing us. HTFE may become operational in current year but it will be mostly useless without any application except in HTT 36 sitara if it is revived at ll. If we make HTFE 35 with a provision to upgrade to 40+ KN thrust class engine, we can use it Aura as well.

 

[sorcerer]

How good is Tejas?


The MiG-21 has been in the news again – for all wrong reasons. That aircraft has been the mainstay of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) air combat capability for decades. However, current developments bring in focus the urgency of developing and deploying its replacement – the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. The IAF plans to order a total of 339 Tejas aircraft of various marks over the years. These will form the mainstay of the IAF’s combat aircraft fleet for some decades. A small number is also to be ordered by the Indian Navy for carrier-based operations.

Fortunately, private companies are to undertake much of the manufacturing – Larsen & Turbo (wings), Dynamic Technologies (front fuselage), VEM Technologies (centre fuselage), and Alpha Design & Dynamics (rear fuselage). Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) will only undertake the final assembly and the like. As a result, Tejas’ production rate will increase to 24 aircraft a year. HAL, on its own, could not double the production rate from a mere eight to 16 aircraft a year. That would have taken it over 20 years to complete the production run – compared to just 14 years with the private companies in partnership. Importantly, this could help the private industry acquire skills like prime-contractorship and systems integration and someday make aircraft of their own design.

While the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) undertook design work on Tejas with zero experience, they did a commendable job of it. ADA had used advanced technology at every opportunity – advanced computational fluid dynamics for the aerodynamic design, a mock-up designed entirely on the computer for the first time in India, advanced carbon fibre composite material for the structure, advanced avionics in the cockpit, and the like. Dr Kota Harinarayana, the then Programme Director for LCA at ADA, had once said that the control laws for the Tejas’ Flight Control System had been test-flown on a US F-16D test aircraft. He had quoted the test pilot as saying that the aircraft actually handled better with Tejas’ control laws. Indian test pilots have praised Tejas’ high-speed handling characteristics, its high level of agility, and said it is easy to fly even at the limits of its operational flight envelope.

Admittedly, Tejas has some shortcomings, like having an inadequate payload/range performance, a high turnaround time between missions, being maintenance-intensive, etc. Some of these should be addressed on Tejas Mk 2, which will hopefully be up to what is called fourth-generation technology standards. Thus, the earlier Mk 1 and Mk 1A may serve, at best, as point-defence rather than area defence interceptors. They may not be adequate for the ground-attack role.

Some of the Tejas aircraft’s design features are interesting. It is the world’s smallest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft. It is of tailless, compound delta-wing design. A single-engine aircraft is roughly 30 per cent cheaper to produce and operate than a twin. However, to meet high performance requirements, particularly for the ground attack role, many aircraft have twin engines.

A small size reduces the flyaway as well as life-cycle costs, and makes Tejas difficult to detect. However, it also reduces the vital payload/range performance. Analysts regard the larger Saab Gripen (the light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab) as the smallest practicable multi-role aircraft. Having a single crew reduces aircraft costs, but imposes a heavy workload on the pilot. That is countered with greater automation and computerisation in the cockpit.

Tejas is not designed for stealth. However, it’s very small size, the high percentage of non radar-reflecting composite material (about 45 per cent by weight), and the Y-shaped bifurcated air intakes that prevent radar reflections from the engine’s fan blades, make Tejas difficult to detect – by radar as well as by the Mark 1 eyeball.

To avoid detection, Tejas will also minimise the use of its own active radar sensor and depend on its passive Infrared Search & Track (IRST) instead. Similarly, it will depend on its datalink for communication with friendly aircraft, rather than use its radio, which would give its position away. The datalink also helps in the exchange of data among friendly aircraft as well as from AWACS.

Tejas will have a wide range of weapons, including short-range and beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missiles, laser-guided bombs, glide bombs, cluster bombs, a 23 mm cannon, and others. The Derby and R-73E missiles are “slaved” to the pilot’s Helmet Mounted Display and Sight. To hit an enemy target, he merely has to look in the direction of the target and release the missile. The missile will do the rest. The small BrahMos NG supersonic cruise missile will give Tejas the much-needed long range strike capability.

Being a major importer of weapons, India is naturally keen to export indigenously developed ones. To date, Egypt, Sri Lanka, the UAE and Singapore have “shown interest”. Period. India should wait till the Mk 2 is in service and all its limitations are removed before offering it. However, the trainer variant is not affected by the low payload/range performance of Tejas and could be offered earlier.

Tejas is likely to be developed further in the future and upgraded with such developments as Direct Voice Control (through verbal signals to the sensors), an engine thrust vectoring nozzle (for greater agility in flight as well as for better runway performance), hopefully a Variable Camber Wing (which will maintain high efficiency throughout its flight envelope) as well as a more advanced engine and others. Amazingly, ADA had displayed a Tejas model at Aero India 2019 with canard foreplanes. These could completely transform its performance. With these developments, India’s aerospace defence industry will have come of age.

http://www.orissapost.com/how-good-is-tejas/

 

[mayfair]

X-post

An extremely good feature of LCA and NLCA is that Wing Loading i.e. the total weight of an aircraft divided by the area of its wing, is quite low.

Allows for very high performance in multiple areas.
Short takeoff distances
Higher carrying capacity
Superior turn performance
High stability

among others.

Given the specs of LCA MWF, I concur these advantageous traits will be retained going forward.

 

[patriots]

Tejas in lima
...2nd foreign show after ...baharin

 

[HariPrasad-1]

Why Tejas Mk2 (MWF) Will Be Important

Written by: Vipul Dave
Date: February 12, 2019


Indian CRPF convoy hit by Pakistan trained terrorist with huge explosive killing more than 40 Jawans. India warned retaliation and preparation of air raid begun. India struck LET terrorist camp with laser guided bombs and eliminated hundreds of Terrorists, their trainers, ISI people and Pakistani Military officers and JEM commanders including family members of JEM chief Masood Azahar. .

Once again Indian Airforce Choose four decade old Mirage 2000 for the mission in spite of having state of art planes like Sukhoi MKIs, Mig 29 etc. This shows how important the plane is. It is very much relevant even today with upgrades in electronic in spite of new fighters entering the service. India used the same plane in bombing Kargil height in spite of having MKIs, Jaguars and Mig 29s. This shows how important the plane is.

The question here is what makes Mirage 2000 so special. Why it is a weapon of Choice of Indian air-force even after 4 decades. What after Mirage 2000 and its substitute once Mirage 2000 retires. These questions needs consideration.

Mirage 2000 is a medium weight fighter with Maximum takeoff weight of over 17 tons and payload of over 5 tons. It is upgraded with state of art electronics and one of the best BVR Mica. It has a high Instantaneous turn rate to fire missile first in case of conflict. It has a highly reliable engine and top speed in excess of Mach 1.8. All this makes it a weapon of choice for Indian air force. Now what next after Mirage 2000? Is the question often asked.

Actually, when India floated a tender of MMRCA tender, they wanted something like Mirage 2000 in mind. When India made Tejas, India wanted to build something like Mirage 2000 and they build in many qualities of Mirage 2000 into Tejas. However, Tejas, because of its small size and comparatively low powered engine could not become a MMRCA like Mirage 2000 and Indian air force wanted something bigger and better. HAL and DRDO offered Tejas Mk2 with higher thrust engine and bigger in size Tejas Mk2. After many speculations in media and contradictory reports, Tejas Mk2’s design was finally revealed before Aero India 2019. It is a highly impressive design meeting most of requirements of Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).

Design and Specification:

Tejas Mk2 also known as Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) looks very much similar to Tejas Mk1. However the main differences are prolonged fuselage. Aerodynamics tweaks, redesigned canopy, inbuild EW, higher power engine, addition of canard etc. The overall length of Tejas Mk2 is 14.7 meter, increased from 13.2 meter in Tejas Mk1. While studying the aerodynamics and its constrains in Tejas Mk1, it was observed that it was unable to comply to Area ruling because of short length. So it was decided to take care of this concern of Tejas Mk1 by increasing the length. Other aerodynamic issues such as elevating canopy, redesigning pylon, putting short range missile on wing tip etc is freezed in Mk2 design. All this will reduce aerodynamic drag and will improve transonic acceleration by a very good margin.

The constrains of limited seven hand points in Mk1 is addressed very satisfactorily by providing 11 hand points. The payload of 3.9 tons is increased to 6.5 tons. All concerns of Mk1 are not only addressed but user Indian air force's expectations are surpassed.

Another noticeable change is addition of canards for handling at low speed and short take off etc. In my opinion, these changes are made so that designers may not have to work very hard on naval LCA Mk2 and Air force MWF may relatively easily be converted into naval Tejas Mk2.

Another big issue which is addressed is increasing fuel capacity from 2.5 tons to 3.3 ton which will give it a big boost in ferry range and combat radios. Supersonic fuel tanks are also developed. It offers a big fuel capacity with minimum addition of drag. This will further add to range and mission capability to carry out operation in large geographical area.

Other most important change will be the replacement of current GE 404 engine with higher power GE 414 IN6 engine. Tejas Mk2 will have GE 414 IN6 engine with some 60 KN + dry and 98 KN wet thrust engine which will give Tejas Mk2 and ability to carry more load and faster speed. It will be a fully home grown plane with American engine which may be replaced by K10 in future.

Tejas Mk2 is not a stealth but it is designed for very Low RCS. Its “Y” duct intake conceals engine totally. There has been a lots of simulation to put canard on right place. External body in now more than 90% made of composite material giving it low weight low RCS and low weight. RAM paint developed for AMCA shall find its application in TEJAS Mk2 to further add to its stealth character.

After building huge inventory of heavy category fighter like SU 30 MKI and developing light weight Tejas MK1, Entire focus of India is now centered on acquiring medium weight fighter like Rafale or other MMRCA. Tejas Mk2 is a surprising sweet option which has emerged for Indian air force.

Radar, Infrared track and search system and electronic warfare:

This area is also got a big boost. New Uttam AESA radar will have much higher range than current MMR and it will virtually be Jam proof. It will have the capability to Jam enemy radars. It will replace Israeli ELTA 2052 radar in Tejas Mk2. BEL has started work on development of Infrared track and search system which will go into Tejas Mk2. This will give Tejas a great capability to see enemy plane even without putting its AESA radar on. This will keep its presence of Tejas secrete. An Israeli company is already short listed to co-develop electronic warfare suite. Same suite for Mig 29 is already been developed. Development of EW suite for Tejas Mk2 is unlikely to face any challenge. Missile approach warning system is already been developed which will go into Mk2. Sensor fusion is a gray area and yet much clarification has not come or at least not in my knowledge.

Weapons:

Tejas Mk2 will come with a big weapon load of 6.5 tons. Designers have already surpassed all expectation of IAF by providing 11 hand points and some of them may be used with multiple hangers carrying two missile of each one. This is a combination of huge payload and huge number of hand point will give this plane an extraordinary flexibility to carry any sort of mission with missiles or bombs and strike a target far away. Brahmos NG with over 300 KM range shall also be carried on Tejas. It will be the one of the most deadliest sand off weapon on any plane in the world.

During exercise Gagan Shakti, Tejas proved its ability to bomb targets with high Precision. Bombing accuracy of Tejas is already been proved. This proven capability of Tejas Mk1 will go into Tejas Mk2. It has Impressed Indian air force winning lots of admiration from senior IAF officers. India has already developed glide bomb of 100 KM range with 1 ton payload with which enemy positions can be attacked from far away. India’s own smart area airfield weapon can strike runways from 100 km away and make runways useless. Recently BEL declared that BEL with Indian industries have developed a 450 kg glide bomb with 154 km of range with multiple seekers. It has developed couple of more bombs with light weight and a light weight cruise missiles as well. Surely, Tejas will have a choice to choose weapon from these as well.

R 73 and derby missiles are already tested from Tejas Mk1. Python is also tested from Tejas Mk1. Home grown Astra Mk1 with 80 KM range is already been tested and integrated with Sukhoi 30 MKI. This will go into Tejas Mk1 as well as Mk2. There are in talks with France to integrate Meteor with Tejas. France is ready to do that provided the Radar is Indian and not Israeli. With arrival of desi Uttam AESA radar, the way to integrate Meteor will clear. Meanwhile India has done few successful tests of her indigenous solid fuel duct ramjet engine missile which will have about 130 to 150 KM rage some 30 KM lesser than meteor. If either of the two goes into Tejas Mk2, they will be more than a match for enemies of India for decades to come. Meanwhile Israel has offered I derby, the upgraded version of Debby. India is already using Mica of France on Mirage 2000. So India has a great flexibility and multiple options to integrate missile and other weapons on Tejas Mk2 like no other nation has with options of Russian, Israeli, European, French and Indian weapons.

DRDO has already tested anti-radiation missile with more than 100 KM range so as SAAW. This will give Tejas MK2 an additional punch which its competitors are lacking. Tejas will have enviously high weapon choices not available to any of the plane of its class. It will simply outsmart any other plane in the area of weapons.

BVR and WVR engagements:

Tejas with more powerful engine, improved aerodynamic will be much faster though not as fast as Russian planes like Sukhoi 30, Sukhoi 57 and Mig 29 but will outmatch most and its competitors and match F 16 in speed. With low wing loading and higher thrust to weight ratio, Tejas Mk2 will be a great dog fighter which will outmatch all its competitors including F 16 but not Chinese Sukhoi 30s and Sukhoi 35s. However, here is a point here. . Tejas with a very small frontal RCS of 0.1 Sq m to 0.2 Sq. meter and top class AESAS radar will see them first and will shoot them with either Meteor, SFDR, Atsra or derby which are very long range missiles.

Against its Pakistani counterparts like JF 17 block 3 or F16, Tejas Mk2 will be more than a match. With very low Frontal RCS and powerful Radar like either ELTA 2052 or Uttam, it will be able to see these planes more than 100 KM away which shall be at least 30 KH higher than those planes can see Tejas Mk2 even with AESA radar Installed on them. Tejas Mk2 will lock and shoot JF 17 or F 16 from a distance of more than 120 KM either with METERO or India’s own Solid fuel duct ramjet missile with ultra-long range. With state of art infrared track search system, Tejas Mk2 will be able to track these planes even without using its AESA radars.

In within visible range face off, Tejas Mk2 will easily be able to defeat F 16 with higher T/W ratio, Low wing loading and Canard combo which will give it a great maneuverability. It will have no problem in shooting down F 16 with R 73. Even Mig 21 did it recently. JF 17 does not count and it is futile to compare both the planes.

Conclusion:

Tejas Mk2 is an upgraded version of Tejas MK1 . All shortcomings of Tejas Mk1 are addresses in Tejas Mk2. It will have a very high ferry range, combat radios and a very decent payload. It will have new flight control system as well. It is designed for High maneuverability unlike some bomb trucks. Tejas Mk2 can do 9/-3.5 g with high AOA. It will have the option to integrate ultra-long range missiles such as METEOR and home grown SFDR . With AESA and ultra-long range missile combo, it will have first shoot capability against virtually all planes except few like F 22, F 35 and will match Gripen, Rafale and EFT. This will be a most suitable plane for most of the missions like air raid, BVR combat, Close combat, Close air support, Ground attack etc. With light weight, better aerodynamic, top class weapon and great ground attack capability, this plane will undoubtedly pack a big punch in a single machine. Though this is a single engine plane, it will have the capability of being MMRCA and it will match and even surpass the capability of some contenders of MMRCA like F 16, Mig 35 and Gripen C/D and will match Gripen E in capability. So this is a desi MMRCA at low cost.

Indian airforce which has a great passion for foreign plane has found a new love for this plane in recent time after Tejas Mk1 got FOC. They are ordering Tejas Mk1 in big numbers who used to refuse to consider an order beyond 40. Now they are planning 123 Tejas Mk1 and planning to induct more than 200 Tejas Mk2. Indian navy is also seriously considering to induct Tejas Mk2 with more.

powerful engine which we shall discuss some in future. The reason is that the capability offered by Tejas Mk2 is irresistible. Tejas Mk2 is a true multirole fighter which has satisfied and surpassed all expectations of Indian air force’s medium weight fighter plane at a very reasonable cost. It has won the heart and mind of Indian air force and Indian air force is unable to resist the capability it has offered.

This article cannot be reproduced without the acknowledgement to writer Vipul Dave

 

[smestarz]

Me for one, would prefer the Mk II to go a different way, my suggestions

a) Twin engine instead of single enigne, Single engine planes are cheap to produce and maintain, Also they are easier, but all depends on the single engine of the plane, if there is a failure,.then there is high probablity that the plane would have to be written off. But with dual engine, the plane has better reliablity, yes the cost of production is higher, but there is better survivalability. I prefer two smaller engines, whose combined thrust is more than the thrust of F-414 engine that is being suggested,

b) conformal Modular concept., As people have seen the conformal Fuel tank that has bee there on many planes including rafale, Eurofighter, F-16, F/A-18 among the few, I would like to have the plane to have the ability to have the ability to use Conformal fuel tanks or Conformal Avionics.Something like able to put an Conformal AESA pack on fuselage and thus making the plane an effective AWACS with this sytem being connected via Sat-link to Strategic base for the operation and thus the Commanding officers will have better view of the battlefield, Thus the pilot can fly the mission as required also with this plane and escort, it would be able to come out of any trouble, and if need be then this plane can provide Electronic attack in enemy territory that is provided using say an EW Pod externally.

 

[mayfair]

Me for one, would prefer the Mk II to go a different way, my suggestions

a) Twin engine instead of single enigne,

We are already doing that in the form of AMCA. Would make no sense to split energy and limited resources on two twin-engined projects, especially since transforming MWF into a twin engine jet will require starting from scratch.

Moreover, Tejas MWF will ensure the longevity of the Tejas platform itself.

 

[vayuu1]

Me for one, would prefer the Mk II to go a different way, my suggestions

a) Twin engine instead of single enigne, Single engine planes are cheap to produce and maintain, Also they are easier, but all depends on the single engine of the plane, if there is a failure,.then there is high probablity that the plane would have to be written off. But with dual engine, the plane has better reliablity, yes the cost of production is higher, but there is better survivalability. I prefer two smaller engines, whose combined thrust is more than the thrust of F-414 engine that is being suggested,

b) conformal Modular concept., As people have seen the conformal Fuel tank that has bee there on many planes including rafale, Eurofighter, F-16, F/A-18 among the few, I would like to have the plane to have the ability to have the ability to use Conformal fuel tanks or Conformal Avionics.Something like able to put an Conformal AESA pack on fuselage and thus making the plane an effective AWACS with this sytem being connected via Sat-link to Strategic base for the operation and thus the Commanding officers will have better view of the battlefield, Thus the pilot can fly the mission as required also with this plane and escort, it would be able to come out of any trouble, and if need be then this plane can provide Electronic attack in enemy territory that is provided using say an EW Pod externally.

Also remember one thing both f16 and gripen if I am not wrong are single engine, so is f35 although it's 5th gen

Sent from my Redmi 4A using Tapatalk

 

[vayuu1]

One more question to you guys talks were their about the Stealth Tejas, which is Tejas mark 3 any news about that

Sent from my Redmi 4A using Tapatalk

 

[patriots]

One more question to you guys talks were their about the Stealth Tejas, which is Tejas mark 3 any news about that

Sent from my Redmi 4A using Tapatalk

No tejas mk3 is there.......
Hmm amca is there................

 

[patriots]

30300300303003033003330

 

[bhramos]

............................................................

 

[patriots]

So the latest news on mk2 is.....
Its design completed....
And hal/ada waiting for metal cutting

 

[Indx TechStyle]

LCA MK-2 AESA radar, 11 hard points, IRST (Infrared search & track), 6.5 tons external payload, 17.5 ton MTOW. Smart cockpit.
(Indo Pacific SCS Info)

Looks beast!!

 

[patriots]

LCA MK-2 AESA radar, 11 hard points, IRST (Infrared search & track), 6.5 tons external payload, 17.5 ton MTOW. Smart cockpit.
(Indo Pacific SCS Info)

Looks beast!!

Love this sexy look of mwf...................

 

[Filtercoffee]

LCA MK-2 AESA radar, 11 hard points, IRST (Infrared search & track), 6.5 tons external payload, 17.5 ton MTOW. Smart cockpit.
(Indo Pacific SCS Info)

Looks beast!!

Hey nice shots! But the LCA Navy Mk 2 has a better cockpit layout for rear view for the pilot. I think it was showcased last year.

 

[Filtercoffee]

It looks like the exactly like the HAL LCA Tejas MK 2 !!

 

[Steven Rogers]

It looks like the exactly like the HAL LCA Tejas MK 2 !!

Kya bro, we have seen enough pakistani shit from few days, please don't behave like them.

 

[Biplab]

No! Not like that. HAL is going to reduce the weight of mk1 by 1000 kg in MK1A by changes in ballast and landing gear. So the same is not going to be problem in MWF also. Second, the dimensions of GE 404 and GE414 are same and GE414 is only 74 kg heavier than Ge404. IRST is hardly 40 50 kg. Rest of your calculations are correct but considering the weight of mk1 6.6 ton is not correct because it is already reduced significantly in MK1A.

MK1A still on paper. So this 1000 kg reduce weight is still not achieved.