LCA Tejas: Top 10 Features You Should Know About

As India develops and starts growing on its path of being a superpower, it develops its indigenous “LIGHT COMBAT AIRCRAFT TEJAS,” Tejas, a single-engine, light-weight, extremely agile supersonic fighter with several roles. The Flight Control System (FCS), a quadruplex digital fly-by-wire system, with delta wing combat aircraft which have advanced flight control laws. The delta wing of aircraft is designed for “air combat” and “offensive air support,” with its secondary role as “reconnaissance” and “anti-ship.”

Top 10 FEATURES THAT MAKES IT BEST IN CLASS

#1: MODERN WINGS

• The Tejas is tailless with a single vertical stabilizer compound delta-wing combat aircraft which offers higher alpha performance than conventional wing designs. Its root wing is 50 degrees wide, the outer wing is 62.5 degrees wide, and the edge of the hiking trail has a 4 degree forward swing. It is a digital avionics system integrated with composite structures. It is the smallest and lightest modern supersonic combat aircraft in its class.

#2: COCKPIT

• The LCA Tejas has a glass cockpit compatible with night vision with the zero-zero ejection seats of Martin Baker (UK). The cockpit is equipped with two multifunction displays in the liquid color crystal of 76mm × 76mm. An HMDS is also provided, while the hands-on jets and stick-control system minimizes pilot workload and maximizes awareness of situations.

#3: TURBOFAN ENGINES

• Production versions are equipped with the full authority of digital engine control for one General Electric 85kN F404-IN20 turbofan engine. The Tejas program seems to be on the right track now, despite some initial hippies in the indigenous ‘Kaveri’ engines.

#4: ACHIEVED SUPERSONIC SPEED AND RANGE

• TEJAS can achieve its maximum speed of 2,205 km/h and an altitude of 15,200 meters with Full warloads. This aircraft can fly 3,000 km in Range, with a service cap of 16,500 meters.

#5: AVIONICS PERFORMANCE

• The aerodynamically most incredible features of Tejas make it a good result over a wider combat envelope. The highly efficient design of the aircraft shows that the thickness, the twist, and the camber of the aircraft vary correctly over their range.

Also Read: Understanding The Export Potential Of LCA Tejas

#6: WEIGHT

• Empty: 9800 Kilograms
• Take Off clean: 6500 kilograms
• External Stores: 3500 kilograms
• Max Weight 1,035 kg (2,282 lb)

#7: ARMAMENTS

• Tejas is designed to contain a true bunch of air to air, air to surface, guided precision, and stand-off weapons, in terms of the weapons it carries. Tejas has long distanced beyond its visual range weapons in the air-to-air arena. The high maneuverability and enhanced handling features of an aircraft integrated with the advanced cockpit, digital avionics, and the interface with weapons (WSI) allow a fast turnaround.
• Aircraft is featured with weapons such as air-to-air missiles include Astra BVRAAM, Vympel R-77 and R-73. The air-to-surface missiles are Kh-59ME TV guided stand-off missile and Kh-59MK laser-guided stand-off missile. A 23mm twin-barrel GSh-23 cannon is also mounted on the aircraft.
• “Tejas added the 5th generation Python-5 air-to-air missile in its air-to-air weapons capability . Trials were also aimed to validate enhanced capability of already integrated Derby beyond visual range AAM on Tejas

• The Armaments carry by Tejas are shown in the table below.

#8: SENSORS & RADARS

• The first load of Tejas combat jets is supplied with Uttam radars. Of the 123 Tejas aircraft to be inducted by the Indian Air Force, 40 will have Israel’s radar and 83 will be equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA) Radars and an electronic warfare suite

Also Read: Why Python-5 Is Perfect For Tejas?

#9: GEAR

• Tejas is furnished with a hydraulic, retractable, HAL-type landing gear that provides for two individual, inward-retractable major wheels and a twin-wheel, steering, and forward-retractable nose gear. For hydraulic transmission of power, titanium halves alloy tubes are used.

#10: PRICE BREAKDOWN

• As such, Rs 309 crore will be the core per unit cost of the Mk1A during production, whereas Rs 280 crore would be the Mk1 trainer version. The HAL has confirmed these figures and the DRDO author, who controls the ADA, confirmed them. The DRDO is responsible for ADA.
• FLIGHT TEST DURING DEVELOPMENT
• Apart from the fact that the aircraft is on the verge of completing 5,000 test flights, Tejas’ immaculate flight safety record is also important. Since its maiden flight 20 years ago, there have been no mishaps in the Tejas’ flight record, which is unusual in the field of flight testing.
• Tejas, a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) that first flew nearly two decades ago, is on the verge of achieving a critical milestone. Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal flew the aircraft for the first time on January 4, 2001, from Bengaluru’s HAL Airport.
• It has completed 4,985 test flights without a single accident since then.