Tejas MK1A vs MK1 comparison
Tejas MK1A vs MK1 comparison – The Indian Express claimed that the LCA Tejas Mk 1A began its initial flight tests in the first week of May, citing sources at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
A more advanced version of the LCA Mk1 that achieved Full Operational Capability (FOC) in 2020, the LCA Mk1A will act as a testbed aircraft for the Mk 1A production line.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently has 40 Tejas Mk1 aircraft in service. The IAF awarded HAL a contract in January 2021 for 73 Tejas Mk1A fighter aircraft and 10 LCA Tejas Mk1 trainer aircraft valued $6.07 billion.In accordance with the contract, HAL is required to deliver the first three aircraft in 2024 and 16 aircraft per year for the following five years.
HAL claimed that the flights were a necessary component of production, hence the flight testing were kept a secret. The HAL insider told Janes, “We are focused on making sure that the aircraft are delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on time and schedule by 2024.
Which is better: Tejas MK1A vs MK1?
The LCA Mk1 reportedly did not satisfy the IAF’s operational requirements, which caused them to be dissatisfied. Based on input from the IAF, the MK 1A program seeks to enhance the operational capabilities of the Tejas LCA.
The Mk1’s deficiencies, which negatively impacted the performance of the aircraft, included increased weight and decreased speed. Better composite materials will be used in the redesigned Mk1A to lighten the airframe, and there will be more aerodynamic pylons to lower supersonic drag.
Because the Radar Warning Receiver and Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS) had performance concerns, the LCA Mk1 also lacked adequate Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities. For electronic countermeasures (ECM) purposes, the IAF desired a Self Protection Jammer (SPJ), which was also absent.
The Mk1A variant’s RWR and CMDS problems have been resolved, and a podded active jammer will be installed to satisfy the IAF’s ECM needs.
According to claims made by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the Mk1A variant will also include a locally produced “Uttam” Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that can track 50 targets in the sky at a distance of more than 100 kilometers and engage about four of them at once.
The first 16 Tejas Mk1A aircraft will be outfitted with Israeli ELM 2052 AESA radars, however the remaining aircraft will be fitted with local Uttam radars.
The Mk1’s arsenal of weapons includes the Israeli-made “Derby” beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVR-AAM) from Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and the Vympel R-73 short-range missile with infrared homing. The Derby is a short-to-medium BVR missile with a range of 50 kilometers, whereas the R-73 has a range of 40 kilometers.
The Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), which has a range of 25 kilometers, and the locally created Astra BVR missile, which has a range of 80 to 110 kilometers, can also be fitted to the new Tejas Mk1A. It has a 4.5 Mach top speed, which is virtually hypersonic.
The Tejas Mk1A will also have provisions for GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)-based positioning system, GAGAN (GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation), and SBAS (Satellite-based Augmentation system), as well as precision warfighting capabilities made possible by a digital moving map with 2D maps and 3D perspective view.
The Mk1A also has a mid-air refueling probe, which greatly expands its operational range and enables the Tejas to stay in the air for much longer periods of time.
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