The IAF apathy on Tejas front is telling,
They are not watering the eco system that delivered so much,
despite the tortorous route forced on by ADA by the powers that be,
BY giving 40 odd extra tejas mk1FOC order, they are strengthening the will of the govt that is ready to call PAK's bluff on terrorism,
Instead I see the sad plight of retired IAF big guns like Manmohan Bahadur pouring cold water on Tejas mk2 production time lie,
ANd assorted defence "EGGspurts" calling on GOI to abandon tejas mk2 development effort & concentrate on Stealth AMCA
Here is the countering the the spurious narrative being built up fr scrapping
TejasMK2
& buying 100 odd foreign fighters in their place,,
which r a generation behind in RSS fly by wire aerodynamic planform
Or Gripen NG which is same as T
ejasMK2 , but costly.
comparing the delayed timelines of
Tejas_LCA mk1 ,
which had zero infra,
No ready LRU ,
IAF apathy,
FSED ph-2 delay,
Trickle funding,
US Sanctions delay,
US confiscating software equipments after pokhran test sanctions,
forcing redevelopment of RSS fly by ware frm scratch?
.pitiful dribble of funding by devil may care govts
No ready fly by wire tech fr Relaxed Static Stability fighter,(takes decades to master) To
Tejas_LCA mk2 is unfair
TejasMK2
Due to differences of opinion btn IAF,
MOD, ADA,
Tejas_LCA mk1 followed the tortured ,
Tech development TD (just to prove flight) to Prototype PV, to limited series production LSP model,
IAF specified R73e only in 2008 or so leading to long FSED Phase2 of wing redesigning,
TejasMK2 is the much needed insurance against delays in
StealthAMCA,
greenfield
Tejas Mk1 Took tedious TD - PV-LSP route ,
needing 20 yrs fr FOC .
Tejas_LCA Mk2 -direct Limited Series Production from 1st fighter, fr quick FOC .
Fly by wire CLWAS, , Composites already mastered,
Since
Tejas mk2 has ready availability of
Tejas_LCA mk1's completed fly by wire control laws effort,
ADA is going fr direct production of
TejasMK2 , no tech demos(TD), no PVs(prototype vehicles).
Since wing loading is the same fr both mk1&mk2, Mk2 can be developed very fast.
TejasMk2A 's low wing loading (world's lowest)design was custom built fr high altitude himalayan theatre,
with load ( Leh,other rough air fields) , which no other foreign single engine fighter design has.
T
ejas_LCA mk1 spent decade mastering,
EW suit,
software defined radios,
SPJ, IRST, BVR,
ASEA radar integration,
HMDS cued off bore sight WVR missile capabilities,
all glass cockpit.
Now All of these are readily available
TejasMK2 effort,
Considerably cutting down yrs needed fr FOC
What is , "entirely" new abt
Tejas_MK2?,
Which won't substantially draw on ,
#Tejas mk1's,Composites,
Control laws of RSS fly by wire airframe,
tier 2 vendors, System integration experience frm integrating mission computer,
HMDS cued WVR DRFM equipped ASEA jamner
Air to air refuelling,
Astra, Derby , R73E, litening,
SPJ integration, Quartz radome,
SFDR, stores release simulation,
Cold start with decent loads fr a light fighter frm Leh?
CFD studies,
Cockpit ergonomics,
MFDs, Margin fr relaxed static stability, especially ,
when
TejasMK2 has the same wing loading as
tejas mk1.
Tejas mk2 has a world class new tech assembly line fr precise,
faster LSP production, Unlike mk1A which was cobbled together in obsolete jaguar production line.
All these long delays won't be there fr
#TejasMK2
bcos weapon fit specs, proven tech are Already on the table.
Evolutionary designs don't need experimental airframes aka prototypes.
They go straight to LSP bcoz of lesser unknowns involved.
JAS-39E/F & F/A-18SH programs are examples. SAAB Test flighted systems individually on JAS-39D
before jumping straight to production standard JAS-39E.
SO by increasing tejas mk1 FOC orders by two more squadrons , IAF is bolstering their retaliation muscle against PAF perfidy.
