Light Combat Aircraft (LCA): Tezas
Tejas originated from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program, which started in the 1980s with the aim of replacing India’s aging MiG-21 fighters, but it eventually evolved into a broader fleet modernization effort. The aircraft is an Indian single-engine, delta-wing, light multirole fighter crafted by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in partnership with the Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for use by the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
The first LCA Demonstrator I aircraft made a maiden flight in January 2001, with the LCA Demonstrator II flying in June 2002.
Additionally, the PV-II, a second prototype vehicle, conducted its inaugural flight in December 2005, followed by a third prototype in December 2006.
In April 2006, the Indian Government sanctioned the limited series production of 20 Tejas for the air force. The production aircraft made its first flight in April 2007, while the first flight of the Tejas trainer variant occurred in November 2009. Subsequently, the fourth and fifth limited series production aircraft (LSP-4) underwent their maiden flights in June and November 2010, respectively.
The initial operational clearance (IOC) testing concluded in December 2010, and certification was granted in January 2011. The LSP-7 completed its inaugural flight in March 2012, and the first flight of LSP-8 occurred in March 2013. In December 2013, Tejas successfully conducted weapon release flight tests, including firing an infrared-seeking air-to-air missile, and achieved the IOC. The first prototype also completed its first flight with an advanced electronic warfare (EW) suite developed by DRDO.
The first series-production aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight in October 2014 and was delivered to the Indian Air Force in January 2015. The second series production (SP2) aircraft then accomplished its inaugural flight in March 2016. Finally, the aircraft’s naval prototype carried out its maiden flight in April 2012, with HAL delivering the first two Tejas aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in July 2016.
Features:
tejas fighter jet top speed
Multirole combat capability
Single-engine confidence
Tejas’ growing role
GE partnership for jet engines