Indian Air Force inducted the first two home-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fighters to constitute its No. 45 Fight Squadron Squad...
Indian Air Force inducted the first two home-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fighters to constitute its No. 45 Fight Squadron Squadron called the "Flying Daggers".
Tejas is the first advanced Fly-by-wire (FBW) equipped fighter aircraft designed, developed and manufactured in India, and is the second fighter designed in the country, after HF-24 Marut designed by the famous German aircraft designer Kurt Tank in late 1950s.
Conceived as a replacement to the large no of MiG-21s operated by IAF, the aircraft has been designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The flight test program has achieved more than 3000 sorties, clocking more than 2000 flight hours, with out any issues.
The Squadron will operate from Bangalore for nearly two years to iron out any technical and maintenance issue, before it moves to its designated location at Sulur near Coimbatore. It is the first fighter Squadron to be a part of the Southern Air Command of IAF headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram.
Group Captain Madhav Rangachari, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, is the Commanding Officer of Flying Daggers.
Tejas is a 4+ generation aircraft with a glass cockpit and is equipped with state of the art Satellite aided Inertial Navigation System. It has a digital computer based attack system and an autopilot. It can fire Air to Air Missiles, Bombs as well as Precision Guided Munitions weighing upto 3500 kg.
The delta winged aircraft without tail plane, is largely constructed from weight saving composites.
The induction of the aircraft is being planned in a phased manner. The Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) aircraft are armed with Close Combat Air to Air Missiles, Helmet Mounted Display and Precision Guided Weapons like Laser Guided Bombs.
These aircraft are also capable of dropping unguided bombs with much higher accuracy due to highly advanced indigenous mission computer. The Final Operational Clearance (FOC) capability expected by end of 2016, would incorporate Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles, improved and better stand-off weapons and air to air refueling capability.
IAF is also pitching for additional LCA Mk 1A variant which would incorporate new generation Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar with simultaneous air to air and air to ground capability, an integrated advanced Electronic Warfare Suite, advanced versions of air to air and air to ground weapons and maintainability improvements.
Full Scale Engineering Development (FSED) programme was actually sanctioned in April 1993. The historic maiden flight of the first Technology Demonstrator (TD1) took place on January 04, 2001.
The scope of FSED Phase 1 was to demonstrate the technologies so that a decision could be taken to build operational prototype vehicles, at a later stage. LCA FSED Phase 1 was completed on March 31, 2004 with all objectives of technology development achieved.
With efficient management of funds, four aircraft (TD1, TD2, PV1, & PV2) have been built within the funds sanctioned for two aircraft development. While Phase 1 programme was in progress, the Government in November 2001 decided to concurrently go ahead with the build of operational prototype vehicles in LCA FSED Phase 2 programme.
The scope of FSED Phase 2 programme was to build three prototypes of operational aircraft including trainers and also to build the infrastructure required for producing eight aircraft per year and build eight Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft.
The Phase 2 programme has been split into two phases namely, Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC). Standard of Preparation of operational aircraft was finalized in 2004 with changes in weapons, sensors and avionics to meet IAF requirements and overcome obsolescence.
Action for induction of Tejas into IAF has been initiated. As of now, IAF has placed order in 2006 for 20 Tejas aircraft in IOC configuration and another 20 aircraft in FOC configuration in 2010.
Aircraft build is in progress. Maiden flight of first Series Production (SP1) Tejas aircraft of IOC configuration took place on September 30, 2014 and handed over to the Indian Air Force by the Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar on January 17, 2015. Further SP aircraft will be delivered progressively by HAL to IAF for induction.
With a maximum take off weight of 13500 kg, the Tejus is powered by a single GE F404 after burning turbofan engine.
Tejas is the first advanced Fly-by-wire (FBW) equipped fighter aircraft designed, developed and manufactured in India, and is the second fighter designed in the country, after HF-24 Marut designed by the famous German aircraft designer Kurt Tank in late 1950s.
Conceived as a replacement to the large no of MiG-21s operated by IAF, the aircraft has been designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The flight test program has achieved more than 3000 sorties, clocking more than 2000 flight hours, with out any issues.
The Squadron will operate from Bangalore for nearly two years to iron out any technical and maintenance issue, before it moves to its designated location at Sulur near Coimbatore. It is the first fighter Squadron to be a part of the Southern Air Command of IAF headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram.
Group Captain Madhav Rangachari, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, is the Commanding Officer of Flying Daggers.
Tejas is a 4+ generation aircraft with a glass cockpit and is equipped with state of the art Satellite aided Inertial Navigation System. It has a digital computer based attack system and an autopilot. It can fire Air to Air Missiles, Bombs as well as Precision Guided Munitions weighing upto 3500 kg.
The delta winged aircraft without tail plane, is largely constructed from weight saving composites.
The induction of the aircraft is being planned in a phased manner. The Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) aircraft are armed with Close Combat Air to Air Missiles, Helmet Mounted Display and Precision Guided Weapons like Laser Guided Bombs.
These aircraft are also capable of dropping unguided bombs with much higher accuracy due to highly advanced indigenous mission computer. The Final Operational Clearance (FOC) capability expected by end of 2016, would incorporate Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles, improved and better stand-off weapons and air to air refueling capability.
IAF is also pitching for additional LCA Mk 1A variant which would incorporate new generation Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar with simultaneous air to air and air to ground capability, an integrated advanced Electronic Warfare Suite, advanced versions of air to air and air to ground weapons and maintainability improvements.
Full Scale Engineering Development (FSED) programme was actually sanctioned in April 1993. The historic maiden flight of the first Technology Demonstrator (TD1) took place on January 04, 2001.
The scope of FSED Phase 1 was to demonstrate the technologies so that a decision could be taken to build operational prototype vehicles, at a later stage. LCA FSED Phase 1 was completed on March 31, 2004 with all objectives of technology development achieved.
With efficient management of funds, four aircraft (TD1, TD2, PV1, & PV2) have been built within the funds sanctioned for two aircraft development. While Phase 1 programme was in progress, the Government in November 2001 decided to concurrently go ahead with the build of operational prototype vehicles in LCA FSED Phase 2 programme.
The scope of FSED Phase 2 programme was to build three prototypes of operational aircraft including trainers and also to build the infrastructure required for producing eight aircraft per year and build eight Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft.
The Phase 2 programme has been split into two phases namely, Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC). Standard of Preparation of operational aircraft was finalized in 2004 with changes in weapons, sensors and avionics to meet IAF requirements and overcome obsolescence.
Action for induction of Tejas into IAF has been initiated. As of now, IAF has placed order in 2006 for 20 Tejas aircraft in IOC configuration and another 20 aircraft in FOC configuration in 2010.
Aircraft build is in progress. Maiden flight of first Series Production (SP1) Tejas aircraft of IOC configuration took place on September 30, 2014 and handed over to the Indian Air Force by the Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar on January 17, 2015. Further SP aircraft will be delivered progressively by HAL to IAF for induction.
With a maximum take off weight of 13500 kg, the Tejus is powered by a single GE F404 after burning turbofan engine.
