HAL Tejas, All You Need to Know About Tejas Fighter Jet

Tejas Fighter Jet

The Tejas Mk-1A Light Combat multifunctional fighter aircraft with a single engine. It is designed and manufactured in India only by the state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This fourth-generation fighter has various critical operational capabilities that include an Active Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) radar, an Electronic Warfare (EW) suite, a beyond visual range missile, and is capable of air-to-air refuelling (AAR). Air-to-Air refuelling means that it can refuel in the air and be ready for war again. It can target enemy aircraft from a distance. Not just this, but it also has the ability to dodge the enemy’s radar.

Important Facts About Tejas

Although Tejas is a lightweight aircraft with a short range, it is fully capable of carrying a load of eight to nine tonnes. It can fly carrying the same array of modern weapons and missiles as Sukhoi, which weighs more than it. It’s known majorly for its speed. Despite being light, its speed is unmatched. These aircraft can fly as fast as the speed of sound, i.e., Mach 1.6 to 1.8, up at an altitude of 52,000 feet. The most amazing aero-dynamic features of Tejas makes it stand for excellent performance across a broader fighter envelope. The highly optimized wing of the aircraft shows up the right variation of thickness, twist and camber through its span. 

Tejas made its first flight in January 2001. The aircraft was inducted into the squadron of the Indian Air Force in 2016.

Aim Of Tejas

With the aim of focusing on self-reliance and boosting domestic defence production, the government has set a target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore turnover in defence manufacturing by 2025.

The Indian government had awarded a Rs 48,000 crore contract to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for manufacturing 83 Tejas jets to be delivered by 2023. As per the defense ministry the government has also approved infrastructure development by IAF under the project to enable it to handle repairs and servicing at its base depots so that the turnaround time of the aircraft could be reduced and their availability can be increased for “operational exploitation”. The defence minister said that aircraft maker HAL has already set up second-line manufacturing facilities at its Nasik and Bengaluru divisions, adding it will ensure timely deliveries of the jets to the IAF. HAL has already doubled the production capacity of Tejas from eight aircraft per year to 16.

Light Combat Aircraft Tejas

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme started in 1984 under the Indian Government’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). LCA Tejas was created by India’s HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) to replace the old Mig 21 fighter planes. In 2003, the Light Combat Aircraft programme was named ‘Tejas’ (meaning radiance in Sanskrit) by then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

• Tejas is HAL’s second supersonic fighter jet, following the HAL HF-24 Marut.
• LCA Tejas is a single-engine multirole light combat aircraft, known for its lightweight and compact size.
• Tejas is designed to carry various types of weaponry for air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.
• Tejas has a unique design featuring a single-engine, compound Delta wing, and a tailless structure.
• The LCA programme aimed to enhance India’s domestic aerospace capabilities and replace the aging MiG 21 planes used since the 1970s.
• The programme also focused on advancing India’s indigenous aviation technologies and capabilities.

Argentina is Interested in India’s Tejas Fighter Aircraft

Argentina becomes the first Latin American country to show interest in India’s indigenously manufactured TEJAS fighter aircraft, manufactured under the ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’ campaign for Indian Air Force.

“EAM, acknowledging Argentine interest in the Made in India TEJAS fighter aircraft for Argentine Air Force, highlighted the importance of the proposal in enhancing the strategic quotient of the bilateral relationship.” read the joint press statement released after the Joint Commission Meeting (JCM).

The most interesting thing is that not just Argentina, countries such as Malaysia, Australia, Egypt, the USA, Indonesia, and the Philippines have also shown interest in LCA aircraft which is indigenously developed by India. However, Argentina becomes the first country in Latin America to show interest in Tejas, which is a single-engine, lightweight supersonic fighter.