How Did India Manage to Build an Advanced Fighter Jet Like the Tejas?

HariPrasad-1

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How Did India Manage to Build an Advanced Fighter Jet Like the Tejas?
When it comes to sensitive industries like defense, democracy and the rule of law do matter.

BY SALVATORE BABONES | FEBRUARY 24, 2021, 6:04 AM
Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jets perform at the Aero India air show at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangaluru, on Feb. 3.

Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jets perform at the Aero India air show at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangaluru, on Feb. 3. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
India’s biennial military aircraft show, Aero India, went off without a hitch in early February in the southern Indian tech capital of Bengaluru. Despite the travails of pandemic-era traveling, the United States sent a deputy undersecretary, a Navy admiral, and three Air Force generals. It also sent a nuclear-capable B-1B bomber. But the real star of the show was what escorted the U.S. aircraft in the sky: an Indian-built Tejas fighter jet. With a name that means “radiant” in the ancient Sanskrit language, the Tejas is the first supersonic multirole fighter aircraft designed and built entirely in India.
How has a relatively poor country like India that is more famous for call centers than for precision manufacturing managed such a dramatic technological leap? In a word: cooperation. India is keen to build defense-industry partnerships with more advanced countries, and—even more importantly—advanced countries are keen to partner with India. Not only does it have one of the world’s largest military procurement budgets and a large pool of talented engineers, but India also has a strong tradition of rule of law that protects intellectual property and ensures the enforceability of contracts—in stark contrast to China, which is fast losing access to many advanced Western technologies. That makes India a better partner for international technology companies that it, for now, still depends on.
With the Tejas, India joins an elite group of countries that have demonstrated the capacity to develop and manufacture so-called fourth-generation fighters: combat aircraft characterized by electronic fly-by-wire control systems, onboard situation awareness displays, and over-the-horizon strike capabilities. The United States led the way in the late 1970s with the dual-engine F-15 and single-engine F-16, while China began producing similar fourth-generation fighters only in the early 2000s. With the F-22 and F-35, the United States has since begun to produce fifth-generation fighters—adding stealth capacity among other advances—while other countries, including India, are eager to catch up.
The Tejas is a flagship projectof the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat or Self-Reliant India program. So far, India’s defense industry isn’t nearly as self-reliant as the government might like it to be, and the Tejas—assembled by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics in Bengaluru—is a good example: The government estimates that the fighter is just 60 percent Indian by value, though that figure is expected to rise over time. The biggest-ticket foreign components are the plane’s General Electric F404 jet engine and Israel Aerospace Industries’ radar and electronic warfare systems. Take away these key components, and all you have is an empty airframe.
For India, that’s not a problem: As a democratic country that honors contracts and respects intellectual property law, it is able to buy advanced technology that it cannot produce itself. That gives the country a major advantage over its regional rivals, China and Pakistan, which simply are not trusted by their suppliers. China’s jet fighter development programs have been repeatedly held back by Russia’s unwillingness to supply high-performance engines for fear of Chinese reverse-engineering. And key components of Pakistan’s locally manufactured JF-17 are entirely sourced from China, as is the design.

 

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How Did India Manage to Build an Advanced Fighter Jet Like the Tejas?
When it comes to sensitive industries like defense, democracy and the rule of law do matter.

BY SALVATORE BABONES | FEBRUARY 24, 2021, 6:04 AM
Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jets perform at the Aero India air show at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangaluru, on Feb. 3.

Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jets perform at the Aero India air show at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangaluru, on Feb. 3. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
India’s biennial military aircraft show, Aero India, went off without a hitch in early February in the southern Indian tech capital of Bengaluru. Despite the travails of pandemic-era traveling, the United States sent a deputy undersecretary, a Navy admiral, and three Air Force generals. It also sent a nuclear-capable B-1B bomber. But the real star of the show was what escorted the U.S. aircraft in the sky: an Indian-built Tejas fighter jet. With a name that means “radiant” in the ancient Sanskrit language, the Tejas is the first supersonic multirole fighter aircraft designed and built entirely in India.
How has a relatively poor country like India that is more famous for call centers than for precision manufacturing managed such a dramatic technological leap? In a word: cooperation. India is keen to build defense-industry partnerships with more advanced countries, and—even more importantly—advanced countries are keen to partner with India. Not only does it have one of the world’s largest military procurement budgets and a large pool of talented engineers, but India also has a strong tradition of rule of law that protects intellectual property and ensures the enforceability of contracts—in stark contrast to China, which is fast losing access to many advanced Western technologies. That makes India a better partner for international technology companies that it, for now, still depends on.
With the Tejas, India joins an elite group of countries that have demonstrated the capacity to develop and manufacture so-called fourth-generation fighters: combat aircraft characterized by electronic fly-by-wire control systems, onboard situation awareness displays, and over-the-horizon strike capabilities. The United States led the way in the late 1970s with the dual-engine F-15 and single-engine F-16, while China began producing similar fourth-generation fighters only in the early 2000s. With the F-22 and F-35, the United States has since begun to produce fifth-generation fighters—adding stealth capacity among other advances—while other countries, including India, are eager to catch up.
The Tejas is a flagship projectof the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat or Self-Reliant India program. So far, India’s defense industry isn’t nearly as self-reliant as the government might like it to be, and the Tejas—assembled by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics in Bengaluru—is a good example: The government estimates that the fighter is just 60 percent Indian by value, though that figure is expected to rise over time. The biggest-ticket foreign components are the plane’s General Electric F404 jet engine and Israel Aerospace Industries’ radar and electronic warfare systems. Take away these key components, and all you have is an empty airframe.
For India, that’s not a problem: As a democratic country that honors contracts and respects intellectual property law, it is able to buy advanced technology that it cannot produce itself. That gives the country a major advantage over its regional rivals, China and Pakistan, which simply are not trusted by their suppliers. China’s jet fighter development programs have been repeatedly held back by Russia’s unwillingness to supply high-performance engines for fear of Chinese reverse-engineering. And key components of Pakistan’s locally manufactured JF-17 are entirely sourced from China, as is the design.

Poor country like india . who the shit writes these articles?
 

HariPrasad-1

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Recognition of India's Defence products around the world is getting recognisation. The products which were produced in last 4 to 5 years are really world class and we are entering into next generation Technologies like ramjet, scramjet, laser, electronic warfare,rail gun etc. so whatever we have invested is emerging as a fruit now. Recently DRDO chief said that there is no missile in the world which India cannot produce. This is the strength we have built over a period of time. Like we started with a pencil size of rocket, and reached to a level where the ISRO is today, similarly in the field of Defence also we have reached to a stage where our products are recognised all over the world. From now onward, it is just to consolidate and strengthen our strengths in different area of developing and making of various defence products.
 

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Recognition of India's Defence products around the world is getting recognisation. The products which were produced in last 4 to 5 years are really world class and we are entering into next generation Technologies like ramjet, scramjet, laser, electronic warfare,rail gun etc. so whatever we have invested is emerging as a fruit now. Recently DRDO chief said that there is no missile in the world which India cannot produce. This is the strength we have built over a period of time. Like we started with a pencil size of rocket, and reached to a level where the ISRO is today, similarly in the field of Defence also we have reached to a stage where our products are recognised all over the world. From now onward, it is just to consolidate and strengthen our strengths in different area of developing and making of various defence products.
The original article says “How did a poor country like India build an advance fighter like Tejas”.
 

HariPrasad-1

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The original article says “How did a poor country like India build an advance fighter like Tejas”.
Actually, I see this as a compliments. They indirectly recognise that India is such a country that in spite of financial crunch and other limitations, India has the capability to build a modern fighter. what will India do when India does a have plenty of money to support such programs.
 

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How Did India Manage to Build an Advanced Fighter Jet Like the Tejas?
When it comes to sensitive industries like defense, democracy and the rule of law do matter.

BY SALVATORE BABONES | FEBRUARY 24, 2021, 6:04 AM
Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jets perform at the Aero India air show at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangaluru, on Feb. 3.

Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jets perform at the Aero India air show at Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bangaluru, on Feb. 3. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
India’s biennial military aircraft show, Aero India, went off without a hitch in early February in the southern Indian tech capital of Bengaluru. Despite the travails of pandemic-era traveling, the United States sent a deputy undersecretary, a Navy admiral, and three Air Force generals. It also sent a nuclear-capable B-1B bomber. But the real star of the show was what escorted the U.S. aircraft in the sky: an Indian-built Tejas fighter jet. With a name that means “radiant” in the ancient Sanskrit language, the Tejas is the first supersonic multirole fighter aircraft designed and built entirely in India.
How has a relatively poor country like India that is more famous for call centers than for precision manufacturing managed such a dramatic technological leap? In a word: cooperation. India is keen to build defense-industry partnerships with more advanced countries, and—even more importantly—advanced countries are keen to partner with India. Not only does it have one of the world’s largest military procurement budgets and a large pool of talented engineers, but India also has a strong tradition of rule of law that protects intellectual property and ensures the enforceability of contracts—in stark contrast to China, which is fast losing access to many advanced Western technologies. That makes India a better partner for international technology companies that it, for now, still depends on.
With the Tejas, India joins an elite group of countries that have demonstrated the capacity to develop and manufacture so-called fourth-generation fighters: combat aircraft characterized by electronic fly-by-wire control systems, onboard situation awareness displays, and over-the-horizon strike capabilities. The United States led the way in the late 1970s with the dual-engine F-15 and single-engine F-16, while China began producing similar fourth-generation fighters only in the early 2000s. With the F-22 and F-35, the United States has since begun to produce fifth-generation fighters—adding stealth capacity among other advances—while other countries, including India, are eager to catch up.
The Tejas is a flagship projectof the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat or Self-Reliant India program. So far, India’s defense industry isn’t nearly as self-reliant as the government might like it to be, and the Tejas—assembled by India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics in Bengaluru—is a good example: The government estimates that the fighter is just 60 percent Indian by value, though that figure is expected to rise over time. The biggest-ticket foreign components are the plane’s General Electric F404 jet engine and Israel Aerospace Industries’ radar and electronic warfare systems. Take away these key components, and all you have is an empty airframe.
For India, that’s not a problem: As a democratic country that honors contracts and respects intellectual property law, it is able to buy advanced technology that it cannot produce itself. That gives the country a major advantage over its regional rivals, China and Pakistan, which simply are not trusted by their suppliers. China’s jet fighter development programs have been repeatedly held back by Russia’s unwillingness to supply high-performance engines for fear of Chinese reverse-engineering. And key components of Pakistan’s locally manufactured JF-17 are entirely sourced from China, as is the design.

A well balanced article imo.

We have come a long way from the days of transporting missile components in bullock carts and bicycles. To the west india is still a land of snake charmers and at best a large consumption oriented market. The positives are also getting increased coverage these days.
 

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When it comes to sensitive industries like defense, democracy and the rule of law do matter.
Oh no they don't. In fact, democracy is detrimental any country's progress at low income levels. India stably remained democratically stubborn socialist state with slow changes of mindset of people while Asian tigers got more genuine leaders in coup and immidiate changes. Chinese administrators don't have to prepare for elections unlike Indians.
Actually, I see this as a compliments. They indirectly recognise that India is such a country that in spite of financial crunch and other limitations, India has the capability to build a modern fighter. what will India do when India does a have plenty of money to support such programs.
How has a relatively poor country like India that is more famous for call centers than
"Known" in this case is limited to a street teen minds only. India is only actually industrialised country in third world with its own capitalist class and is noted for it. India's nominal GDP which is used to call it a poor country is a pseudo indicator because of cost factor. And then they wonder how a sub-2000$ per capita GDP country was launching deep space missions, building nuclear submarines or testing ASAT missiles.
 

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A well balanced article imo.

We have come a long way from the days of transporting missile components in bullock carts and bicycles. To the west india is still a land of snake charmers and at best a large consumption oriented market. The positives are also getting increased coverage these days.

Read somewhere that bullock cart was used because they wanted a flat surface to transport which does not create static, not because there were no vehicles available to them.

Comment is fine for rhetorical purposes, but reality is slightly different.
 

HariPrasad-1

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Two narratives are visible form the article.
1) Tejas is a world class forth generation fighter plane which they recognizes.
2) They believe that India is a country with financial limitation and yet they can make a plane like Tejas. This means that Research, design and development cost in India is very low. I well come both.
 

Gandaberunda

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West is pretty much unaware of India. They're literally brainwashed we are poor nation. They only see what they have been shown Mumbai slums and homeless people. Many of Vlogers who come to India go to Dharavi slums as a tourist destination ( that's how much they've brain washed). The scenario is changing lot of Vlogers are flocking India and showing developed and other side of India other than slums and under developed areas. Saw many foreign Vlogers in disbelief Delhi has world class metro better than NY and London tube till they themselves experienced which is operational from 2002. This is just one side of the filed how West is unaware of India as a nation. For west India is slums Bollywood and Hindi with 1.3 billion poor population. little they recognise ISRO for its achievements.
 

HariPrasad-1

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West is pretty much unaware of India. They're literally brainwashed we are poor nation. They only see what they have been shown Mumbai slums and homeless people. Many of Vlogers who come to India go to Dharavi slums as a tourist destination ( that's how much they've brain washed). The scenario is changing lot of Vlogers are flocking India and showing developed and other side of India other than slums and under developed areas. Saw many foreign Vlogers in disbelief Delhi has world class metro better than NY and London tube till they themselves experienced which is operational from 2002. This is just one side of the filed how West is unaware of India as a nation. For west India is slums Bollywood and Hindi with 1.3 billion poor population. little they recognise ISRO for its achievements.
Like Corolina Goswami had said in one of his Video, poor in west has no capacity to buy good cloth, watch movie and have a lunch outside on their birth day or any other important day for celebration. In India, there are many parallel market for every income class. Street food is damn cheap and of very good quality which can match best anywhere. Cost of living and food is damn cheap. Some high quality education is available in government schools.

They hide these everything from their public to keep them in false superiority and ego else there will be an unrest in these countries. They show these Bombay slums to their people to keep them satisfied. An Idiot nation like Britain is unable to control grooming gangs in its own country but worries too much about farmer protest and Kashmir issue of India. Deep inside their Psyche, there is a fear of legging behind. Reality in their country does not match the propaganda and impression they have created about themselves and India. India is surging much much ahead of them in Education, Space science, Defense, IT, Medical sector, Engineering etc. They are not in a position to match India in these sectors and hence they try to counter it with BS propaganda and brain washing of their own public which ignorant and illiterate. They have no knowledge of what is going into the world.
 

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