HAL Tejas

aircraft family by the Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

The HAL Tejas is a lightweight, single-engine, multirole fighter aircraft. It was designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). It was built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Navy.[8] [9] The Tejas made its first flight in 2001. It entered service with the IAF in 2015. It is the smallest and lightest supersonic aircraft in its class. The aircraft was named "Tejas" in 2003, which means "Radiance" in Sanskrit.[10] It is the second supersonic fighter developed by HAL, after the HF-24 Marut.[11]

Tejas
HAL Tejas from No. 18 Squadron IAF
General information
National originIndia
ManufacturerHindustan Aeronautics Limited
DesignerAeronautical Development Agency
Aircraft Research and Design Centre (HAL)
Aeronautical Development Establishment
Management and usageIndian Air Force
Number built53[a]
History
Manufactured2001–present
Introduction date17 January 2015[6]
First flight4 January 2001[7]
Developed intoHAL Tejas Mk2

Tejas comes in three versions: the Mark 1, Mark 1A, and a trainer/light attack version. The first Tejas squadron was formed in 2016, replacing the older MiG-21 aircraft.[12] The Indian Air Force has placed an order for 123 Tejas aircraft. They plan to buy 97 more. The IAF wants to eventually have 324 Tejas aircraft in total, including the upcoming Mark 2 version.[13][14] As of 2022, about 60% of the Tejas Mark 1's components are made in India. The Mark 1A is expected to have even higher levels of domestic content in the future.

  1. 9 Prototypes (6 PV,[1] 3 Naval[2]), 8 LSP,[3] 32 Tejas Mk 1,[4] 4 Tejas trainers[5]

References

change
  1. "Tejas trainer PV6 completes first flight". www.spsmai.com. SP Guide publications. 16 November 2014. ISSN 2230-9268. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-19.
  2. "LCA Navy prototype NP5 completes successful maiden flight: DRDO". The Indian Express. 2023-08-18. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  3. "Tejas LSP-8 makes its maiden flight". The New Indian Express. 1 April 2013. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
  4. "Delivery of single-seat Tejas LCA Mark 1 fighters to IAF completed". Business Standard. 2023-08-23.
  5. "HAL to deliver last four LCA Mk-1 trainers to IAF in 6 months". Hindustan Times. 2024-09-18.
  6. "After 32 years, India finally gets LCA Tejas aircraft". Economic Times. 17 January 2015. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  7. Rajkumar, Mike (7 July 2018). "India's Tejas clears in-flight refuelling hurdle". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  8. "Aircraft Certification | Defence Research and Development Organisation - DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.drdo.gov.in. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  9. "Indigenous Tejas joins IAF's fighter squadron - The Hindu". web.archive.org. 2020-11-08. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2024-11-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. "Pokhran-II delayed Tejas project, says former scientist - The Hindu". web.archive.org. 2021-10-13. Archived from the original on 2021-10-13. Retrieved 2024-11-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. "LCA could be a good option for Argentine Air Force, says a source". Financialexpress. 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  12. Rajkumar2020-03-19T07:32:00+00:00, Mike. "​Deal for 83 Tejas fighters passes bureaucratic hurdle". Flight Global. Retrieved 2024-11-21. {{cite web}}: zero width space character in |title= at position 1 (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "DAC nod to buy 97 Tejas jets, 156 combat helicopters". The Indian Express. 2023-11-30. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  14. "Indigenous content of Tejas 59.7% by value & 75.5% by numbers". The Indian Express. 2016-11-18. Retrieved 2024-11-21.