Revamped Tejas Mk 1A ready for takeoff: First batch of 16 to serve IAF

With the Indian Air Force (IAF) having placed a Rs 48,000 crore order for 83 indigenous Tejas Mark 1A light combat aircraft (LCA) from Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) in February 2021, the Bengaluru-headquartered aerospace manufacturer is gearing up to deliver the first improved variant of the fighter this year.

With the first Tejas Mark 1A fighter having successfully test-flown in March, HAL’s chief says the first delivery will be completed “in the next few months”. Thereafter, the production of 180 Tejas Mark 1A fighters and successive variants will generate the bulk of HAL’s income for the foreseeable future.

“That is our priority. The build of the aircraft has started, and we will ensure that 16 Tejas Mark 1A aircraft are delivered in this financial year, i.e., before March 31, 2025,” says HAL Chairman and Managing Director C B Ananthakrishnan.

Business Standard was granted an exclusive visit to HAL, the country’s biggest defence public sector undertaking.

HAL has almost completed the delivery of its first two IAF orders of 40 Tejas Mark 1 fighters. Nine Mark 1s were left to be delivered this year, of which five twin-seat trainers have been delivered, and the remaining four will follow, says Ananthakrishnan.

Meanwhile, Ananthakrishnan says HAL is completing the integration of five major upgrades to the Tejas Mark 1, which will grant it the designation of Mark 1A.

Two of the five major improvements, which are practically complete, are to the airborne radar and the electronic warfare suite.

The Tejas Mark 1’s earlier manually scanned array radar has been replaced by a far more capable active electronically scanned array radar that makes the Mark 1A far more capable and versatile in air-to-ground and air-to-air combat.

The second improvement to the Tejas Mark 1 involves the integration of new self-protection jammers and mission computers.

Backing up these improved avionics are new-generation, beyond visual range, air-to-air missiles. Most notably, these include the indigenous Astra missile and the advanced short-range air-to-air missile (ASRAAM), supplied by the European missile-maker, MBDA.

Embark on the first leg of a four-part journey as the Tejas fighter undergoes an evolution. With the defence ministry’s order for Tejas Mark 1 fighters nearly fulfilled, attention turns to the final touches needed to meet Tejas Mark 1A specifications

Transforming the Tejas Mark 1 into the improved Mark 1A also involves the integration of air-to-air refuelling across the fleet, which will greatly enhance the combat range of the Mark 1A.

“The mid-air refuelling probes have been fitted. The drogue lights and final testing have to be done, and it has to be demonstrated. This is being done together for the entire fleet of Tejas fighters as a part of the contract for the second batch of 20 fighters,” says Ananthakrishnan.

Finally, the Tejas cockpit has been tailored to the size and shape of 90 per cent of IAF pilots.

“We have completely met the anthropometric requirements for the LCA, which requires the cockpit to be suitable for the 5-95 percentile of pilots,” says the HAL chief.

Despite all these modifications, the Tejas Mark 1A will require further modifications and testing before it is in full operational mode.

“Some integrations involving the fighter’s ordnance will be required, such as the firing of twin ASRAAM missiles. We have discussed the minimum deliverable configuration with the IAF so that they can start flying and suggest improvements and modifications,” says the HAL chief.

“We will be able to address those issues and deliver the 16 aircraft in 2024-25 as fully configured aircraft that the IAF can use,” he said.

So far, the two Tejas Mark 1 squadrons in service have been based by the IAF in Sulur, near Coimbatore. As the IAF brings into service more squadrons of Tejas fighters, especially the more capable Tejas Mark 1A and Mark 2, its doctrines and strategies will evolve, making it likely that they will be deployed to the Chinese and Pakistani borders.

NEXT: Building Tejas Mark 2