IAF opts for MWF for it's single engine fighter jet requirement

[Zapper]

India's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) revealed a model of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas AF Mk 2 Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) at Aero India 2019.

The Tejas AF Mk 2 MWF, which was displayed on 20 February, is being pitched to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to fit into its medium multirole fighter requirement and as a potential replacement of the Dassault Mirage 2000 fleet.

The Tejas AF Mk 2 MWF is an enhanced version of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), with modifications comprising a slightly longer length of 14.6 m and wingspan of 8.5 m (compared with 13 m and 8.2 m respectively for the LCA) to enhance its payload-carrying capabilities. The Tejas AF Mk 2 MWF also has a compound delta wing with close-coupled canards to help reduce drag in almost all angles of attack.

The maximum weight of the aircraft is 17.5 tonnes, which enhances its weapons carrying capacity to up to 6.5 tonnes, and it is equipped with a higher thrust General Electric GE-F414-INS6 engine that features a Full Authority Digital Electronics Control (FADEC) system. Additional features of the Tejas AF Mk 2 MWF include an infrared search-and-track (IRST) sensor, a missile approach warning system (MAWS), and an Uttam active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

Wind tunnel testing of Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) scale model already has been completed and final design freeze happened last year in December and will finally move to the metal cutting stage by end of this year and already HAL has started the process to procure assembly jigs for the first aircraft. ADA has confirmed that unlike LCA-Tejas program there will not be any Technology Demonstrators (Phase-1) nor any prototype aircraft (Phase-II) of MWF and instead there will be four Pre-production aircraft. First Two of the four Pre-production aircraft will be of Initial Operation Clearance (IOC) configuration and the last two will be of final Operation Clearance (IOC) configuration.

Direct development of Pre-production aircraft will help reduce development timeline and also accelerate flight testing and trial phase so that from the first flight of the first pre-production MWF aircraft till it cleared for production, whole program can be rounded up in five years time. Work on the assembly of first Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) will start from 2021 on wards and it should be ready for first flight by end of 2022 or in 2023.

ADA plans to have its first flight by 2023 and also manages to wind up its developmental flight trials by 2028 it should be ready to enter production by 2029-30. ADA is yet to select a production partner, while HAL has been tasked to procure assemble jigs and other ground support equipment to start work on the development of first Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) aircraft it is still not clear if HAL will be in charge of manufacturing of first four pre-production aircraft.

With IAF agreeing to procure nearly 201 units of Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) aircraft, it is likely will see heavy interest from many private players who will be very keen on becoming part of the supply chain of the MWF support ecosystem. HAL which is in charge of the development of Tejas Mk1A fighter jet is also keen to start production of it by 2024 and already has sub-contracted the whole fuselage from front to rear and even wings to private defense players in India.

https://www.janes.com/article/86671/aero-india-2019-ada-unveils-tejas-af-mk-2-medium-weight-fighter

 

[Zapper]

Design and Specification:

Medium Weight Fighter (MWF) looks very much similar to Tejas Mk1. However the main differences are prolonged fuselage. The overall length of Tejas Mk2 is 14.7 meter from increased from 13.2 meter in Tejas Mk1. While studying the aerodynamics and its constrains in Tejas Mk1, it was observed that it was unable to comply to Area ruling because of short length. So it was decided to take care of this concern of Tejas Mk1 by increasing the length. Other aerodynamic issues such as elevating canopy, redesigning pylon, putting short range missile on wing tip etc is freezed in Mk2 design. All this will reduce aerodynamic drag and will improve transonic acceleration by a very good margin.

The constrains of limited seven hard points in Mk1 is addressed very satisfactorily by providing 11 hard points . The payload of 3.8 tons is increased to 6.5 tons. All concerns of Mk1 are not only addressed but user Indian air force's expectations are surpassed.

Another noticeable change is addition of canards for handling at low speed and short take off etc. In my opinion, these changes are made so that designers may not have to work very hard on naval LCA Mk2 and Air force MWF may relatively easily be converted into naval MWF.

Another big issue which is addressed is increasing fuel capacity from 2.5 tons to 3.3 ton which will give it a big boost in ferry range and combat radios. Supersonic fuel tanks are also developed. It offers a big fuel capacity with minimum addition of drag. This will further add to range and mission capability to carry out operation in large geographical area.

The another most important change will be the replacement of current GE 404 engine with higher power GE 414 IN6 engine and later gets the Kaveri which is being assisted by Safran. MWF will have GE 414 IN6 engine with some 60 KN + dry and 98 KN wet thrust engine which will give MWF and ability to carry more load and faster speed. It will be a fully home grown plane with American engine which may be replaced by K10 in future.

MWF is not a stealth but it is designed for very Low RCS. Its “Y” duct intake conceals engine totally. There has been a lots of simulation to put canard on right place. External body in now more than 90% made of composite material giving it low weight low RCS and low weight. RAM paint developed for AMCA shall find its application in TEJAS Mk2 to further add to its stealth character.

After building huge inventory of heavy category fighter like SU 30 MKI and developing light weight Tejas MK1, Entire focus of India is now centered on acquiring medium weight fighter like Rafale or other MMRCA. MWF is a surprising sweet option which has emerged for Indian air force.

Radar, Infrared track and search system and electronic warfare:

This area is also got a big boost. New Uttam AESA radar will have much higher range than current MMR and it will virtually be Jam proof. It will replace Israeli ELTA 2052 radar in MWF. BEL has started work on development of Infrared track and search system which will go into MWF. This will give MWF a great capability to see enemy even without putting its AESA radar on to keep its presence secrete. An Israeli company is already short listed to co-develop electronic warfare suite. Same suite for Mig 29 is already been developed. Development of EW suite for MWF is unlikely to face any challenge. Missile approach warning system is already been developed which will go into MWF. Sensor fusion is a gray area and yet much clarification has not come.

Weapons:

MWF will come with huge weapon load of 6.5 tons. Designers have already surpassed all expectation of IAF by providing 11 hard points and some of them may be used with multiple hangers carrying two missile of each one. This is a combination of huge payload and huge number of hand point will give this plane an extraordinary flexibility to carry any sort of mission with missiles or bombs and strike a target far away.

During exercise Gagan Shakti, Tejas proved its ability to bomb targets with high Precision. Bombing and its accuracy is already been proved and it is a proven capability of Tejas Mk1 which will go into MWF. It has Impressed Indian air force winning lots of admiration from senior IAF officers. India has already developed glide bomb of 100 KM range with which enemy positions can be attacked from far away. India’s own smart area airfield weapon can strike runways from 100 km away and make runways useless.

R 73 and derby missiles are already tested from Tejas Mk1. Python was also tested from Tejas Mk1 but it was found a bit unsuitable. Home grown Astra Mk1 with 90 KM range is already been tested and integrated with Sukhoi 30 MKI. This will go into Mk1 as well as MWF. There are in talks with France to integrate Meteor with Tejas. France is ready to do that provided the Radar is Indian and not Israeli. With arrival of indigenous Uttam AESA radar, the way to integrate Meteor will clear. Meanwhile India has done few successful tests of her indigenous solid fuel duct ramjet engine missile which will have about 130 to 150 KM range some 30 KM lesser than meteor. If either of the two goes into MWF, they will be more than a match for decades to come. Meanwhile Israel has offered I derby, the upgraded version of Derby. India is already using Mica of France on Mirage 2000. So India has a great flexibility and multiple options to integrate missile and other weapons on Tejas Mk2 like no other nation has with options of Russian, Israeli, European, French and Indian weapons.

DRDO has already tested anti-radiation missile with more than 100 KM range so as SAAW. This will give MWF an additional punch which its competitors are lacking. MWF will have enviously high weapon choices not available to any of the plane of its class. It will simply outsmart any other plane in the area of weapons.

BVR and WVR engagements:

MWF with more powerful engine, improved aerodynamic will be much faster though not as fast as Russian planes like Sukhoi 30, Sukhoi 57 and Mig 29 but will outmatch most and its competitors and match F 16 in speed. With low wing loading and higher thrust to weight ratio, MWF will be a great dog fighter which will outmatch all its competitors including F 16 exclusive of Chinese Sukhoi 30s and Sukhoi 35s. However, here is a catch. Tejas with a very small frontal RCS of 0.1 Sq m to 0.2 Sq. meter and top class AESAS radar will see them first and will shoot them with either Meteor, SFDR, Atsra or derby which are very long range missiles. Low wing loading and Canard combo which will give it a great maneuverability.

 

[Zapper]

 

[maximuswarrior]

Stop spamming this forum you spastic fvck. This failed project won't get you anywhere. Keep buying Rafale fighters LOL

 

[gangsta_rap]

whats a MWF?

 

[Haris Ali2140]

whats a MWF?

Mid Weight Fighter.

 

[gangsta_rap]

Mid Weight Fighter.

What's that?

 

[BATMAN]

Nice model.

 

[Haris Ali2140]

What's that?

Light weight Fighter e.g. Jf-17 6500 kg empty weight
Mid weight fighter e.g. Dassault Rafale 10000 kg empty weight
Heavy weight fighter e.g. SU-30 MKI 18000 kg empty weight

 

[Zapper]

What's that?

MWF is medium weight fighter which is the larger and upgraded version of LCA. This will have more hard points, longer range and comparable to the F-16 weight class

 

[gangsta_rap]

niggas havent placed them dsi style intakes in yet aint gonna go far that way man it gonna fly like that

 

[Meliodas]

WTH is uttam aesa

 

[Zapper]

WTH is uttam aesa

Uttam is the indigenous AESA radar developed by DRDO to replace LCA's Elta's EL/M-2052 AESA radar and EL/M-2032 radar on the initial prototypes. It has already been tested on the Tejas and will be used for the production series of Mk-1A and MWF

 

[Shabi1]

They should have bought Mirage-2000 assembly line when they had the chance.

MBDA has already made it clear Meteor wont be integrated unless radar is of EU origin.

 

[Cookie Monster]

MWF is medium weight fighter which is the larger and upgraded version of LCA. This will have more hard points, longer range and comparable to the F-16 weight class

With those close coupled canards...it's starting to look like Rafale. What engine would be used on this?