ADA/HAL Tejas Mk1A - Radiant Might in Flight

Surbaissemaxxing · December 8, 2024, 8:41pm

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G’day lads. I want to suggest a further modified variant of the HAL Tejas, which made it’s maiden flight not long ago, and that would be the Tejas Mk1A :)

Description:

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The Tejas Mk1A is a brand new, 4th generation delta-wing multirole combat aircraft. Developed by India’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), where as of now is the most modern Tejas variant. This aircraft is designed to take over the roles previously held by older models such as the MiG-21, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, and Sepecat Jaguar in the Indian Air Force (IAF). Improvements of the Tejas Mk1A include its advanced avionics, highlighted by the inclusion of an AESA radar, making it capable of various missions. Despite its smaller size and weight, with a maximum take-off weight of around 13.5 tons, the Tejas Mk1A is highly agile and achieves supersonic speeds. The Tejas Mk1A’s first flight took place in March 2024.

History:

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The HAL Tejas project began in the early 1980s, as part of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program aimed at replacing the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) aging MiG-21 fleet. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) were tasked with the development of this indigenous fighter aircraft. The initial design and development faced significant challenges, including technological hurdles and delays.

The first major milestone for the Tejas Mk1 came on January 4, 2001, when the prototype, known as Technology Demonstrator 1 (TD-1), successfully completed its maiden flight. This was a significant achievement, proving the aircraft’s basic design and capabilities. Over the next decade, the Tejas Mk1 underwent extensive flight testing and refinements.

By January 2011, the Tejas Mk1 received Initial Operational Clearance (IOC), allowing the Indian Air Force to induct the aircraft for further trials and evaluation. This period was crucial in ironing out various operational issues. In January 2019, the Tejas Mk1 achieved Final Operational Clearance (FOC), signifying that it was fully operational and ready for combat roles.

The Tejas Mk1A was conceptualized to address the limitations observed in the Mk1 and incorporate several improvements. Development work on the Mk1A started around 2014, with the goal of enhancing its capabilities and reliability. The first flight of the Tejas Mk1A took place on March 28, 2024, where it flew well. Extensive testing followed, ensuring that all enhancements were thoroughly validated.

Armaments:

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1 GSh-23L 23mm cannon

Astra Mk.1/2 AAM

I-Derby ER AAM

Python 5 AAM (Possibly has dual pylons for it)

ASRAAM AAM (Has confirmed dual pylons for it)

R-73 AAM

AASM HAMMER ASM

Guided bomb kits like SPICE, JDAM, Al Tariq, Griffin

FAB 100-500 dumb bomb series

LITENING (III/IV) targeting pod

Countermeasures (obviously)

EL/M-2052 AESA radar (up to 40th Mk1A) or Uttam AESA radar (41st and further)

etc. (can be seen below in images)

Specifications:

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The Tejas has the following dimensions; a length of 13.2m, a height of 4.4m, a wingspan of 8.2m and a wing area of 38.4 square meters. It’s empty weight should be around 6560kg, with a combat weight of 9800kg and at last a max takeoff weight of 13500kg, so yea, it’s quite light. Powering it is a GE F404-GE-IN20, giving out a thrust of 85kN with its afterburners turned on, which gives the Tejas a max speed of Mach 1.8.