Indian Government Greenlights Tejas 2.0 Mega Project

The Indian government has provided approval for the development of a more powerful version of the present indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft.

The government has earmarked INR 6,500 crore ($818.8 million) in addition to the previously sanctioned INR 2,500 crore ($315 million) to fund the Tejas Mark-2 prototypes, flight testing and certification.

The Tejas is expected to get a significant bump in its combat range and weapons carrying capabilities as the previously used GE-404 engines will be swapped out for the more powerful GE-414 engines stated the Indian media.

Lightweight Tejas Mark-1 is primarily meant for air defense. Medium-weight Mark-2 fighter, with its heavy standoff weapons, will be for offensive operations into enemy territory. Its critical design review is complete, top sources were quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Another source said fly-by-wire, avionics, composites and other technologies that have been proven in the Tejas Mark-1 will be upscaled for the more powerful and bigger Mark-2. The IAF is expected to induct 110-120 of the Tejas Mark-2 aircrafts to form 6 squadrons.

The Indian Air Force has already inducted 30 of the 123 fighters ordered from the state run Hindustan Aeronautics. The IAF are also inked a deal for 73 improved Mark-1A fighters and 10 Trainers to be delivered in the 2024-2028 timeframe.

While the Tejas Mark -1 (13.5 tonne) was designed replace the obsolete MiG-21s, the newer Mark-2 (17.5 tonne) will be succeeding the IAF’s Mirage 2000, Jaguar and MiG-29 fighters.

The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) plan to conduct the first flight trials in 2-3 years with the production beginning by around 2030.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) also cleared over INR 15,000 crore ($1.9 billion) for the project to build the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fifth generation indigenous stealth fighter aircraft. The AMCA production is likely to start from 2035 with the IAF planning to induct five to seven squadrons of the AMCA. The AMCA will be equipped with stealth features along with supercruise abilities. A source told Times of India that this project would follow within the next few months.

Defensemirror.com Bureau