LCA TEJAS MK1 & MK1A: News and Discussion

[Rajaraja Chola]

I really dont know, i find it very strange to see HAL disregard a possible sale, specially when competing against other options is not really easy (FA-50 eating most of the light market). Lets hope by some miracle the deal progresses in the future.

Remember LM is also part of FA50. LM doesn’t have an equivalent craft to sell. So they are happy to piggyback on KAI and use their marketing and sales expertise to make sales.

I mean HAL planned to tie up with local US company to sell it to US Navy tender. It did not happen. If it had happened first sales would have happened by now.

 

[silverghost]

Do you have any concrete proof that the LCA Tejas Mk1A has been delayed or are you just blabbering BS??
Even the TOI article uses the words "probably", they themselves have zero evidence to back the argument they put out

Given HAL's track record on deliveries, it's prudent to believe the late 2024 date. It started with late 2023 which became early 2024 & now there are rumblings of late 2024. From the TOI article, the reason being given is a lot has changed & it will take time to test it.

 

[NutCracker]

Given HAL's track record on deliveries, it's prudent to believe the late 2024 date. It started with late 2023 which became early 2024 & now there are rumblings of late 2024. From the TOI article, the reason being given is a lot has changed & it will take time to test it.

ALpha defence to HAL

 

[Flying Dagger]

I really dont know, i find it very strange to see HAL disregard a possible sale, specially when competing against other options is not really easy (FA-50 eating most of the light market). Lets hope by some miracle the deal progresses in the future.

FA -50 is another class it's a trainer with light fighting capability. Low operating cost etc.

They have backing of Korea and USA.

Now Tejas is a troubled project criticised all over in India. Do you think people will be positive about it who are sitting far back?

Mk1a is the minimum while mk2 is desired in that the cost is much more than system available like older F-16s which will flood market post 2030s or Jf-17 and FA-50. Gripen is a proven one in a bit higher category.

Now unless we have 200+ flying in the sky and scoring some good hits and performance in airshow don't expect much.

 

[MirageBlue]

Idk if you already shared this, but im surprised this didnt have much covering

HAL LCA Tejas Mk1A and the continuing struggle with Botswana F-5 fighter replacement efforts

The Botswana Defense Force (BDF) is now negotiating with the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited of India to

frontierindia.com

In other news, i recently stumbled with some info regarding the possible argentine deal, the MoD sent a letter requiring a plan for the replacement of components (12 aircraft) but HAL didnt sent anything back.

I hope that is just due to HAL taking some time to respond with details of the planned replacements along with the planned schedule IF the FAA agrees to buy the Tejas Mk1A.

 

[Aniruddha Mulay]

Given HAL's track record on deliveries, it's prudent to believe the late 2024 date. It started with late 2023 which became early 2024 & now there are rumblings of late 2024. From the TOI article, the reason being given is a lot has changed & it will take time to test it.

I can give you multiple instances where HAL has stuck to the timelines stipulated in the original contract.
Similarly, do you have any solid, concrete proof that the deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A have been delayed to end-2024??

Except for TOI, I see no one making such ridiculous statements.
One random source stating something negative without any solid evidence is all it takes for the entire defence community to go into a meltdown.
On the flipside, whenever these random sources post anything positive, people go above and beyond asking for proof.

 

[kamaal]

I can still remember tens of Dhruvs lined up in the HAL sheds because IAF had no capacity ready to induct them, so it's not HAL everytime responsible for the delay. This is project specific delay, but still they'll have to publicly disclose mk1a as per timeline to silence the criticism, they may perform the flight afterwards and induct in last part of 2024.

 

[Corvus Splendens]

FA -50 is another class it's a trainer with light fighting capability. Low operating cost etc.

They have backing of Korea and USA.

Now Tejas is a troubled project criticised all over in India. Do you think people will be positive about it who are sitting far back?

Mk1a is the minimum while mk2 is desired in that the cost is much more than system available like older F-16s which will flood market post 2030s or Jf-17 and FA-50. Gripen is a proven one in a bit higher category.

Now unless we have 200+ flying in the sky and scoring some good hits and performance in airshow don't expect much.

Raytheon's aggressive marketing of the new PhantomStrike™ compact, low power AESA radar is also being a big factor in the T-50's sales.

 

[MirageBlue]

IAF Tejas Mk1s part of the Exercise Cope India 2023 with USAF F-15Es.

 

[NutCracker]

Leading the pack

OOOOOF.. diverging the formation with Rafale

 

[silverghost]

I can give you multiple instances where HAL has stuck to the timelines stipulated in the original contract.
Similarly, do you have any solid, concrete proof that the deliveries of the Tejas Mk1A have been delayed to end-2024??

Except for TOI, I see no one making such ridiculous statements.
One random source stating something negative without any solid evidence is all it takes for the entire defence community to go into a meltdown.
On the flipside, whenever these random sources post anything positive, people go above and beyond asking for proof.

Solid concrete proof? Times of India = One random source? Do you have a better source of defense news than mainstream newspapers? Regarding concrete proof - Early 2024 is not that far away, you will have your proof.

 

[Sachinananda]

Solid concrete proof? Times of India = One random source? Do you have a better source of defense news than mainstream newspapers? Regarding concrete proof - Early 2024 is not that far away, you will have your proof.

He is skeptical about Rajat Pandit bcoz many times he has given wrong updates and news

 

[MirageBlue]

Solid concrete proof? Times of India = One random source? Do you have a better source of defense news than mainstream newspapers? Regarding concrete proof - Early 2024 is not that far away, you will have your proof.

ToI reporting with some unknown source is not reliable. Will need to watch out for any further confirmation of this "unnamed source" info.

 

[Haldilal]

Ya'll Nibbiars

 

[Aniruddha Mulay]

Solid concrete proof? Times of India = One random source? Do you have a better source of defense news than mainstream newspapers? Regarding concrete proof - Early 2024 is not that far away, you will have your proof.

LoL, I do not consider Toilet Paper and Rajat Pandit as credible, he has been wrong mant times in the past.
If HAL delivers Tejas Mk1A on time, what do you plan to do?

 

[silverghost]

He is skeptical about Rajat Pandit bcoz many times he has given wrong updates and news

I am saying wait another year we will know the concrete answer. I don't have an inside source other than mainstream newspapers. Finally, if IAF is happy with the progress then do I care if the planes are delivered early or late? After all, it is they who are in the line of fire.

 

[MirageBlue]

Treat as a rumour till a solid source can be found

 

[AnantS]

Treat as a rumour till a solid source can be found

as long as May and Might are used by OSINT, Experts and Journalists. Take those news with grain of salt. Here I am talking about Meteor. If Meteor could be integrated with LCA, then that missile could be integrated with Sukhoi too. After all integrating any 3rd party missile's biggest headache is to get required launch codes.

 

[jai jaganath]

Treat as a rumour till a solid source can be found

Han yar kuch toh karon
Meteor with mere 36 rafale seems pathetic against pl-15 fielded in 100s of fighters by both our enemies
We don't even have astra mk-2 and won't have till 2025
Agar astra mk2 ajaye toh pl-15 threat would be irrelevant

 

[MirageBlue]

as long as May and Might are used by OSINT, Experts and Journalists. Take those news with grain of salt. Here I am talking about Meteor. If Meteor could be integrated with LCA, then that missile could be integrated with Sukhoi too. After all integrating any 3rd party missile's biggest headache is to get required launch codes.

launch codes? What does that even mean?

Integration I'm afraid is a MUCH bigger thing that just getting required "launch codes" (whatever that means). The radar must be able to talk to the missile and provide it with target information.

If you can't do that then there is a very basic integration, like what the Americans have done for the Ukranian MiG-29s with their HARM anti-radiation missile. It simply means that the pilot fires the HARM in the general direction of an emitting radar and the HARM then tries to locate it on it's own. This approach is very inefficient, but is the only option available to them when integration with a Russian radar is not feasible or is going to take too much time.

Normal integration will require a data link in place for the radar to be able to communicate with the missile both before and after it has been launched. Without that, the missile won't work in LOAL mode (Lock On After Launch). And ideally, you want a two-way datalink where the missile provides updates to the radar after it has acquired the target as well in case the pilot wants to track it or re-assign a different target.

All this requires source code data for the missile manufacturer to be able to integrate their missile with the radar and vice versa for the radar to be integrated with the missile. MBDA won't give source code data for integrating Meteor with a Russian radar or even an Israeli radar is what we were told earlier by Livefist and other sources. Situation may change with Uttam radar on the Tejas Mk1A and possible Uttam variant on the upgraded Super Su-30MKI.