The Naval Tejas, known as LCA Navy, is used to test many technologies that go into the Twin-Engine, Deck Based Fighter or TEDBF
By Vikas Gupta
bangalore
Trading Standard, 15 Feb 23
The central theme of the ongoing Aero India 2023 air show in Bangalore is Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance in building India’s military equipment needs. Emblem Atmanirbharta is the Tejas Mark 1 fighter, which put India on the map of countries capable of designing, developing and manufacturing advanced fighter jets.
It is already producing results. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), CB Ananthakrishnan disclosed in Bengaluru on Tuesday that India is discussing the sale of 20 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with Egypt and 15 Tejas fighters with Argentina.
But for the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the real value of the Tejas Mark 1 is the role it will now play in the development of the next generation of Indian fighter jets which will be more technologically advanced. and murderers.
In the India pavilion, dedicated to indigenization successes, the Tejas Mark 1 fighter is showcased as the key stepping stone leading to the development of a range of fighters: Tejas Mark 2, the eponymous fifth-generation fighter called the ‘Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) which is intended to perform missions from Indian Navy aircraft carriers.
Additionally, the LCA (Navy) is hailed as an important platform for technology development that will power naval aircraft such as the TEDBF.
Defence News of India spoke to Girish Deodhare, who heads the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) – the DRDO laboratory that oversees the development of fighter jets.
ACL (Navy)
“Test landings and take-offs from the deck of an aircraft carrier are currently underway at INS Vikrant and we are successfully carrying them out with a prototype LCA (Navy),” Deodhare said.
The LCA Navy prototype proves all indigenous technologies from our sister labs for future aircraft, the ADA chief said. These include radar, electronic warfare systems and weapons such as Astra air-to-air missiles. Since all of the Astra’s avionics are indigenous, this is easily done. Within a few months it can be prepared for testing and qualifying.
“Thanks to the LCA (Navy) prototype, we understand how to design shipborne naval aircraft and are making great progress,” Deodhare said.
The LCA (Navy) was originally sanctioned in 2003 and it first flew in 2012. It performed the first ski jump in 2014 and the first arrested landing in 2019. Just two months later it passed to a carrier deck – such was the Navy’s confidence in the aircraft.
Tejas Mark 2
The LCA Mark 2 will be a 17.5 ton fighter, with significantly more weapons load and fuel carry than the 14 ton Mark 1. The LCA Mark 2 will fly by 2024-25 and be ready for production by 2027, Deodhare said. The Mark 2 designs are now ready and manufacturing should begin soon. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is currently studying six squadrons of the fighter.
The LCA Mark 2 will be powered by the General Electric (GE) F-414 engine, which is significantly more powerful than the current F-404 engine. The F-414 was selected in a global tender in 2012, in which it beat out the Eurojet EJ-200 engine. The Mark 2 is designed around the F-414 engine.
AMCA
“The design of the AMCA – a fifth generation stealth fighter – is complete and is at the Critical Design Review stage. We are in the preliminary design stage of the TEDBF and that should be moving quickly now,” says Deodhare.
Aero India 23 displays an AMCA simulator with a state-of-the-art cockpit. The DRDO also showcased advanced actuators that are now manufactured domestically and are now available for local use.
“We also developed the internal weapons bay for the AMCA and a working model of it is on display,” says Deodhare. “The AMCA is allocated a budget of Rs 15-16,000 crore. The Air Force is considering seven squadrons of AMCAs.
TEDBF
Deodhare explains that the TEDBF is not a fourth generation fighter, but a generation five minus aircraft. Its basic design is complete and ADA is in the preliminary design stage. The total weight of the fighter will be 25-26 tons and it will be equipped with two F-414 engines.
Contributions come from LCA (Marine) Goa trials and INS Vikrant. The wing folding mechanism is now finalized. The fighter can carry weapons on its wingtips despite the wing folding mechanism. Its armament load will be 17.5 tons.
“We are progressing very well. We also try to take contributions from other programs. We do everything locally, without even thinking about an imported radar. Once we’ve developed core technologies, it’s easy to scale them for larger platforms,” explains the ADA leader.
The TEDBF will be an optional piloted aircraft. There is already an automated takeoff in the LCA Navy. Deodhare says the pilot, even when sitting in the cockpit, does not press any buttons and the plane takes off on its own.
“During the landing, we never missed an approach – we never missed a single cable. Our landing approach is almost fully automated, as is takeoff,” he explains.
The navy indicated that, with a second native carrier likely, it would need over 100 TEDBF aircraft.
