Three new fighter jets will be flying by 2026 confirmed by Girish S Deodhare, chief of the Aeronautical Development Agency of the Defence Ministry, which has been designed by the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Air Force will have two new fighter jets, and the Navy will have one new fighter jet, it is the largest agreement ever made for domestic defense manufacture. The deal is signed on Wednesday for 73 LCA, Tejas Mk-1A, and 10 LCA Mk-1 versions, it was the result of a project that kicked off in 1983.
The chief also said that it’s a big catalyst for the country’s aerospace ecosystem. Efforts gone in the making of LCA have borne fruit with 123 aircraft orders. The next plan is higher weight aircraft Mark 2, which will replace Mirage 2000. Mark 1 and Mark 1A are to replace MiG-21, The Indian Navy is also very powerful that we make an aircraft to replace MiG-29K with Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF). Now that we’ve technology available, we don’t have to go outside for an aircraft for our carriers.
Girish S Deodhare said the first to roll out by the end of 2023 will be a new LCA, the Mk-2 version. It combines the technologies which have matured in Mk-1 “into a bigger more capable platform”.
The 123 Mk-1 and Mk1A aircraft bought by the Air Force are replacement for the MiG-21 class so their “design parameters were such that it was a light, small aircraft, very maneuverable and mainly for air defense, that is guarding our boundaries, so it has a certain capability of carrying weapons and fuel”. Girish S Deodhare also said that the aircraft can carry 3.5 tonnes of external payload, said Girish S Deodhare.
This will be followed by the AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) that is the fifth generation while the LCA is 4.5 generation, it is a stealth aircraft so it is designed for stealth and unlike the LCA, which is designed for maneuverability, the AMCA has a unique shape to achieve low radar cross-section and has got internal carriage of weapons, he said. “When you remove the external weapons, this aircraft has enough fuel and weapons inside to do a very capable operational role in the stealth mode, “The design activity was started in 2010, and a lot of new developments had to be done”, Girish S Deodhare said.
The aircraft has enough weapons and fuel to do a very capable operational role in the stealth mode, it will have a range from over 1,000 km up to 3,000 km in different modes, he said. “We will be reaching the forefront of technology,” Deodhare said.
