IDN TAKE: Tejas Back in the Air After a Hiccup

[Zarvan]

Landing Gear Issue

It is not known by many that the LCA Tejas has been grounded for the past couple of months, with no trials being conducted especially as the program is heading towards its Final Operational Clearance (FOC). The grounding was due to defective landing gear issues, though minor in nature the gear was not folding in after the jet was airborne. This led to two emergency landings. However, the issue has been sorted out, problems of this nature is a common occurance in fighter or aircraft development programs.

Small issues have been cropping up during the course of flight testing, around three years ago the program had an issue with the flight canopy and the ejection process, these were resolved by HAL & ADA.

Technological Milestones

Cobham of UK has already supplied with the in-flight refueling probe and the quartz dome.

Fulfilling Future Requirements

However, everything is not hunky-dory at HAL/ADA. What is worrying is that the critically-required Tejas Mark-II, with a more powerful engine, is likely to need a strong infusion of foreign collaboration if the first prototype has to take to the skies by 2018-19 as per already much-revised deadlines. Tejas Mark-II is still on the drawing board, with only the preliminary design review being completed till now. The critical design review is far off.

This has triggered a major worry since IAF is down to just 35 fighter squadrons while at least 44 are needed to handle a "Collusive Threat" from Pakistan and China. Moreover, only half of the fighters in the 35 squadrons are operationally available at any given time due to obsolescence, poor serviceability and want of maintenance.

The actual utility of Tejas' excruciatingly slow progress will be if it actually leads to a faster development of the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), the proposed project for an indigenous fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

IAF, DRDO and Aeronautical Development Agency are now getting set to seek the Cabinet Committee on Security's approval for the initial design and development phase for AMCA. The plan is to conduct the first flight of the twin-engine AMCA, with advanced stealth, super-cruise capability, super-maneuverability and multi-sensor integration, by 2023-2024.

Admin - IDN

Indian Defence News: IDN TAKE: Tejas Back in the Air After a Hiccup

 

[shah1398]

What is worrying is that the critically-required Tejas Mark-II, with a more powerful engine, is likely to need a strong infusion of foreign collaboration if the first prototype has to take to the skies by 2018-19 as per already much-revised deadlines.

Indigenisation ka antim sanskar ho gaya yay tu .

 

[trident2010]

Indigenisation ka antim sanskar ho gaya yay tu .

Naye plane ka aagaman ho gaya

 

[Killswitch]

This program has helped create an ecosystem for aircraft development and that is important, but the origianal aim was to replace Mig 21s in a timley manner. On that count this program has failed miserably.