After signing the deal for 83 additional Tejas fighter jets, India is now gearing up to manufacture three more fighter aircraft, according to a report by The Indian Express. The Three new fighter jets will be flying by 2026, of which two will be for the Air Force and one for the Navy, according to Girish S Deodhare, chief of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of the Defence Ministry which has designed the LCA.
He said the LCA MK-2 will be first to roll out by the end of 2023. It consolidates the technologies which have matured in Mk-1 into a bigger more capable platform. India has gained crucial expertise after producing LCA Tejas and the ADA officials are of the opinion that now the core technology for manufacturing fighter jets is ready and it will provide boost to several other projects that are lined up for Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy.
Let's take a look at the three fighter aircraft that India plans to induct by 2026:
LCA MK-2
The LCA Mk-2 is a replacement for the Mirage 2000 class of aircraft, which is a much bigger aircraft with bigger engine and can carry 6.5 tonnes of payload. As the technology is already developed by LCA there is possibility of something that can be targeted very fast.
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The roll-out is planned for 2022 and first flight by 2023 and production of the Mk-2 version by 2026.
This will be followed by the AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), which is fifth generation aircraft while the LCA is 4.5 generation, as the design activity was started in 2010, and a lot of new developments had to be done.
AMCA
The AMCA will be stealth aircraft, which has a unique shape to achieve low radar cross-section and has got internal carriage of weapons. The aircraft will have enough fuel and weapons inside to do a very capable operational role in the stealth mode. AMCA will have a range from over 1,000 km up to 3,000 km in different modes.
Deodhare said the AMCA’s design is complete and the Air Force has “frozen their requirements”. “We are starting into the manufacturing phase”. The prototype will be ready by 2024, and the first flight, immediately after that.
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TEDBF
The third new fighter jet, which is most challenging, is the Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) for the Navy, which will be flying by 2026. “The TEDBF is a much bigger challenge as it took time “maturing those technologies” said Deodhare.
As Aircraft carriers require extra caution to prevent any damage to it. After successful on-shore tests in November 2019, they got permission for ship trials in 2020. The Navy is looking for its induction in 2031.
The AMCA, he said, will go towards sixth generation and one of the technologies that is required for the AMCA Mk-2 is to be optionally manned. The aircraft can be flown with or without a pilot, depending on the mission. The capability that is coming on AMCA Mk-2, and that is being proven on Naval prototypes. Even the TEDBF will have the capability, with automatic take-off and landing.
Looks good.
