LCA Tejas:
Context:
An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet recently met with an accident during an aerial display at the Dubai Air Show.
About LCA Tejas:
The Tejas is the smallest and lightest Multi-Role Supersonic (maximum speed of Mach 1.6) Fighter Aircraft of its class.
It is a single-engine, Compound-Delta-Wing, Tailless Aircraft designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as the principal partner.
Key Features:
It integrates contemporary concepts (such as relaxed static-stability, quadruplex fly-by-wire flight control, and advanced glass cockpit system)
The airframe uses advanced composite materials to ensure high strength-to-weight ratio.
Avionics & Safety:
It features a night-vision-compatible glass cockpit and zero-zero ejection seats from Martin-Baker (UK).
It is also equipped with dual color multifunction displays and a Head-Up Display (HUD) developed by the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO).
It carries a 23mm twin-barrelled GSh-23 gun with a burst firing rate of 50 rounds per second.
Background:
The first test flight of the Tejas' Technology Demonstrator-1 (TD-1) was conducted in 2001 under Atal Bihari vajpai regime.
In 2016, the maiden flight of the Second Series Production (SP2) Tejas, in Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) configuration, was carried out.
There are two main variants of the Tejas:
Mark 1
Mark 1A
Significance:
It represents a major milestone in India's indigenization of defence technology
It is designed to meet the diverse needs of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy.
The Tejas is capable of carrying out multiple functions including:
Aerial interception of enemy aircraft
Air-to-surface strikes
Anti-shipping operations