Tejas Mark-2 display at Aero India (Livefist/Twitter).
Prabhulla Chandran VK, director of avionics and weapons systems at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) stated that the much-delayed, India-made Tejas Mk 2 light combat aircraft (LCA) could be ready for its maiden flight by 2025 with an American engine.
Once the US company GE Aerospace announced on June 22 that it had reached an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force, optimism for the aircraft skyrocketed.
The statement was made at the same time as PM Narendra Modi was in the US.
Engineers and scientists were considering French and British Rolls Royce for an engine to power Indian fighter jets prior to the US collaboration.
“It will take 18 months to roll out (the plane), and another 6 months for the first flight.
A symposium on avionics technology was held on Tuesday in Chandigarh, which Prabhulla Chandran attended. The conference was organised by the Central Scientific Instrumentation Organization (CSIO).
The LCA project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in September of last year.
“With this new pact, 90% of the components will be indigenous and the focus will be on state-of-the-art radar systems, weapons, and other capabilities (all made in India, barring the ejection seat and a few sensors). The one-engine fighter will be better than Rafale,” said Prabhulla Chandran.
The LCA is being worked on by about 300 public and commercial organisations. “From the Tejas Mk1 design, this one is entirely different. It is 20% bigger than Mk1, has more capacity, cutting-edge avionics, a longer range, and a higher weapon carrying capacity that we haven’t yet disclosed. There will only be one variant of this fighter plane. Later, we might get a trainer plane “said Prabhulla Chandran.
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