LCA TEJAS MK1 & MK1A: News and Discussion

[MirageBlue]

So all 18 trainers have to be delivered by end of 2023 fy basically in 1 year

No. There will be 8 trainers from the first 40 order that will be delivered between April 2023 to March 2024. The first Tejas Mk1A will roll off the assembly line by February 2024. Separate assembly lines for the two.

 

[skunk works]

View attachment 199519
What's that and why is it open like that?

Air brakes.

 

[MirageBlue]

that doesn’t make sense, the first jets of the MK1A order will be 2 seaters, the first single seat then will be delivered in 2026/7

The first jet to be delivered from the 83 Tejas Mk1A order will be the single seater Mk1A, which will be rolled out in February 2024.

In parallel, the production of the 10 Tejas trainers ordered as part of the 83 Mk1A contract will also be carried out.

 

[binayak95]

...or just make our own Refueling Drones ?
seriously how hard is it ? it's just a flying machine that pumps down fuel to flying jets...we already are making that Ghatak UCAV and what not for combat roles so just fork a refueling uav out of it

Its extremely hard to have two human piloted planes maneuvre and dance with precision in the air and refuel one from the other, for a manned bird to do it from an unmanned one - even more so. The computer vision algorithms combined with depth sensors and or radar based perception sensors need active sensor fusing.

 

[patriots]

The Indian Air Force has ordered about 10 twin-seater LCA trainers as part of a LCA Tejas programme for commissioning of a total of 83 Tejas Mk-1As, an upgraded version of Tejas Mark 1, from next year. It was part of a deal that IAF had signed in February 2021 to get LCA Tejas Mk 1As. Of them, 73 will be single-seater aircraft and the remaining 10 will be final operational clearance (FOC) trainers

First LCA trainer completes maiden flight successfully, says HAL

The trainer took to the skies for its maiden flight on Wednesday and landed after completing a successful sortie of around 35 minutes

www.google.com

 

[abingdonboy]

we hv 350+ aircraft which hv refueling probe..but only 6 oldy russian refueler. we will buy 6 more to replace these russian refueler. so we always more aircraft with refueling probe than refueler. we should buy boing MQ25 stingray UAV refuelers. that cost is near 50 million dollars. in 1 billion dollars we can bought near 20 of them. it can refuel 4-6 fighter with 900 km range. very good for tejas type CAP and point defense fighters. tejas can fly for 45 minute in one shorty. nd it can make 3 shorties in one day. that mean 135 minutes or 2 hour 25 minutes. tejas mark 2 will hv 1 hour 30 minute flying time in one shorty.

The MQ25 is designed for carrier air wings of the USN to replace the buddy-buddy refuelling fighters have to do, the USAF is not replacing even a single of their manned tankers with unmanned ones, a MQ25 can refuel how many fighters? 2? Maybe 3? A squadron has 18-20 fighters, the cost of 1 MQ25 is going to be ~$50m as sold to India, an A330 MRTT costs maybe $150-180m

people need to stop pretending there is any substitute to capacity and legacy platforms, leap frogging is a fantasy. There’s a reason the world’s most experienced and well funded militaries are still very conventional.

IAF’s inability to get even 1 new tanker in the last 15 years despite the number of platforms in their inventory with AAR capability increasing maybe 4 fold in that time just shows you how unserious Indian planners and leadership is.

 

[kamaal]

we hv 350+ aircraft which hv refueling probe..but only 6 oldy russian refueler. we will buy 6 more to replace these russian refueler. so we always more aircraft with refueling probe than refueler. we should buy boing MQ25 stingray UAV refuelers. that cost is near 50 million dollars. in 1 billion dollars we can bought near 20 of them. it can refuel 4-6 fighter with 900 km range. very good for tejas type CAP and point defense fighters. tejas can fly for 45 minute in one shorty. nd it can make 3 shorties in one day. that mean 135 minutes or 2 hour 25 minutes. tejas mark 2 will hv 1 hour 30 minute flying time in one shorty.

We have buddy refuelling systems on MKIs, we can add them on mk1a too, it has some pros.
Large refuellers are liability in battle airspace.

 

[vin bharat mahan]

The MQ25 is designed for carrier air wings of the USN to replace the buddy-buddy refuelling fighters have to do, the USAF is not replacing even a single of their manned tankers with unmanned ones, a MQ25 can refuel how many fighters? 2? Maybe 3? A squadron has 18-20 fighters, the cost of 1 MQ25 is going to be ~$50m as sold to India, an A330 MRTT costs maybe $150-180m

people need to stop pretending there is any substitute to capacity and legacy platforms, leap frogging is a fantasy. There’s a reason the world’s most experienced and well funded militaries are still very conventional.

IAF’s inability to get even 1 new tanker in the last 15 years despite the number of platforms in their inventory with AAR capability increasing maybe 4 fold in that time just shows you how unserious Indian planners and leadership is.

yeah...u r right. i did math nd found one conventional refueler give more fuel than buying 3-4 mq 25. but it give more servicibility, more stealth nd more theatre of engagement than big refueler.

 

[WarmongerLSK]

The MQ25 is designed for carrier air wings of the USN to replace the buddy-buddy refuelling fighters have to do, the USAF is not replacing even a single of their manned tankers with unmanned ones, a MQ25 can refuel how many fighters? 2? Maybe 3? A squadron has 18-20 fighters, the cost of 1 MQ25 is going to be ~$50m as sold to India, an A330 MRTT costs maybe $150-180m

Couldn't you just make the MQ25 larger and or put external tanks? It's the size of a drone but imagine one the size of a B-2 bomber or a bit smaller. Should be able to power much more.

 

[binayak95]

24 Tejas' a year now

 

[Aditya Ballal]

24 Tejas' a year now

That’s just the potential though, actual production rate will be based on orders.

 

[binayak95]

That’s just the potential though, actual production rate will be based on orders.

True enough

 

[another_armchair]

MK1-A when fly?

 

[Gyyan]

 

[jai jaganath]

India gearing up for ambitious fifth-generation stealth fighter project | India News - Times of India

India News: India is now finally moving ahead with its long-pending project to develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter, in a step that also effectively torpedo

m.timesofindia.com

"But the first Tejas Mark-1A will probably come towards end-2024. First, every small equipment change requires extensive flight testing and certification. Moreover, HAL has to majorly upgrade its annual production capability. Tejas Mark-2, of course, is still in the design and development phase," another source said.

 

[Tejbrahmastra]

India gearing up for ambitious fifth-generation stealth fighter project | India News - Times of India

India News: India is now finally moving ahead with its long-pending project to develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter, in a step that also effectively torpedo

m.timesofindia.com

"But the first Tejas Mark-1A will probably come towards end-2024. First, every small equipment change requires extensive flight testing and certification. Moreover, HAL has to majorly upgrade its annual production capability. Tejas Mark-2, of course, is still in the design and development phase," another source said.

No accountability in PSU's dictionary!!

 

[SwordOfDarkness]

Refueling is very critical aerial act
AFAIK
Bcoz I have learnt even with those manned refuelers it becomes very difficult to control and operate
Unmanned system for Refueling needs a lot of automation and we are damn new in this
Pls don't bring nishant
If we really want uav refuelers then better import but even America hasn't inducted it
So better wait and go for refuelers

Bruh no

Its very simple lmao, atleast the way we do it (and US navy does it)

Only US airforce style is dangerous if done wrong, that it boom refuelling. In that, operator needs to be prcise.

In drogue and chute, its a very simple mechanism with very few places for accident.

 

[SwordOfDarkness]

Its extremely hard to have two human piloted planes maneuvre and dance with precision in the air and refuel one from the other, for a manned bird to do it from an unmanned one - even more so. The computer vision algorithms combined with depth sensors and or radar based perception sensors need active sensor fusing.

Wont drogue and chute be easier with drone? SInce it will be able to hold perfectly still flight path for pilot to line up with?

 

[karn]

That is to say, if tejas mak1A can make its first flight next year as planned, it will not become combat effective until at least 2028-2029
Reference J-10B first flew in 2009, mass-produced in 2013, discontinued in 2015
The J10C made its first flight in 2013, started mass production in 2015, and stopped production in 2022

Tejas mk 1a had it's first flight in 2022 . He is referring to the first production Tejas mk1a.

 

[jai jaganath]

That is to say, if tejas mak1A can make its first flight next year as planned, it will not become combat effective until at least 2028-2029
Reference J-10B first flew in 2009, mass-produced in 2013, discontinued in 2015
The J10C made its first flight in 2013, started mass production in 2015, and stopped production in 2022

Mk1a has done its ff in 2022 itself deliveries could start in 2024 itself but due to the 18 trainers they have to produce before 73 mk1a
And I have never questioned j-10c nor j-10b
They are great aircrafts