Aero India 2019 meant many things to many people but surely top of the list was the show carried by India’s light combat aircraft, the Tejas, which was not only dominant in the air, on the ground but, whats more, got its FOC certificate even as the earlier IOC variant was displayed with aplomb by service pilots during inauguration of the event on 20 February. In the composite image above, logo of Aero India 2019 is designed to incorporate profile of the Tejas LCA, even as ‘the real thing’ carries out its aerial display over Yelahanka.
The FOC ceremony took place in full public view, near the limited series production eight (LSP-8) LCA Mk.I (KH 2018) on static display on 20 February when Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Chief of the Air Staff was handed over the facsimile certificate formally declaring ‘Final Operational Clearance’ (FOC) by Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO. The Air Chief was flanged by Defence Secretary Sanjay Mithra, Chairman/Managing Director HAL R Madhavan and Director Engineering Arup Chaterjee. Also, handed over was the ‘Release to Service Document’ (RSD) which provides the capabilities, features and technologies that FOC standard Tejas has on induction to the IAF.
While FOC standard aircraft drawings have reportedly been given to HAL to begin production of the next tranche of 20 LCAs after incorporation of key changes beyond the IOC standard aircraft, the FOC confers key capabilities after the IOC which includes integration of beyond visual range (BVR) missiles, ‘smart’ air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-air refueling capability and general flight envelope expansion.
The Indian Air Force will begin receiving the Tejas FOC block aircraft from the last quarter of 2019, and these will steadily equip No. 18 Squadron which has been number plated for several years after phasing out of its earlier MiG-27MLs.
The first squadron with the Tejas is No.45 which has been operating IOC standard aircraft since July 2016 and had half a dozen aircraft on display at Aero India 2019. Their CO, Gp Capt Samrat Dhankhar, formerly flying MiG-21bison, carried out a scintillating display just after inauguration of the Aero India Show on 20 February 2019 and other squadron pilots continued to show the Tejas attributes to an admiring audience several times a day through the Show.
Sqn Ldr Varun Singh of 45 Squadron, formerly flying Mirage 2000s with the ‘Battle Axes’
LCA Mk.II a.k.a Medium Weight Fighter (MWF)
Mark II version of the Light Combat Aircraft has been subject of some speculation over the past few years and its essential attributes were shown for the first time by ADA in Hall ‘B’, which was virtually dedicated to DRDO programmes and aspirations, including the model above of the medium weight fighter (MWF), markedly also incorporating canards or foreplane much as by the Rafale, Typhoon or Gripen.
The Mk.II (MWF) model was shown with full load on under wing and fuselage hard points, its max takeoff weight (MTOW) given as 17,500 kg as compared with the 13,500kg of the LCA Mk.I, powered by a General Electric F404-GE-IN20 turbofan of 89.8 kN thrust (afterburner). The Mk.II would have a higher thrust engine, the GE-F414-INS6 giving a thrust of 98 kN.
War load of the LCA Mk.II is stated to be 6,500 kg and comprises a mix of CCMs and BVR missies for the air defence role as also heavy stand-off precision guided munitions (PGM) and free fall bombs, giving it multirole capability. Repositioning of the main landing gear, somewhat as Saab did with their Gripen E, have also given space for increased internal fuel.
As per ADA, the LCA Mk.II will have an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, its smart cockpit incorporating large MFDs, and upgraded Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) & Indigenous Actuators; Advanced Avionics, an Internal Unified Electronic Warfare Suite (UEWS), Infra Red Search and Track (IRST) system along with a Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS), and an On-Board Oxygen Generation system (OBOGS).
Development of the LCA Mk.II has been vigorously sought by the Indian Air Force which projects this aircraft as a 4+ generation type which will replace the current 12 squadrons of ‘legacy fighters’ in the IAF order of battle, comprising 6 squadrons of Jaguars, and 3 each of Mirage 2000s and MiG-29s, all these types having been upgraded to keep them in frontline service till the next decade. As Dr Girish Deodhar, Director of ADA stated, “The LCA was designed to replace the MiG-21 aircraft, whereas the Mk.II is being designed to replace the Mirage 2000 and redesignated as a medium weight fighter”.
Air Chief gives “full marks to the Tejas”
File picture of the Air Chief making a sortie in the Tejas LCA two-seater
In his address at a recent CAPS Seminar in New Delhi, the CAS Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa clearly stated that the IAF expects to induct over 200 LCA Mk.IIs, which will in turn be supplemented by the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) which is simultaneously under development at ADA.
During his interaction with media at Aero India 2019, the Air Chief gave full marks to the Tejas LCA Mk.I, stating that the aircraft was ready for frontline service, reinforcing his stance with the statement that ‘Didn’t you see them perform at Vayu Shakti” ? … further, “the proof of the pudding is in eating … you saw how much the aircraft to fly and the number of sorties it could generate during Gagan Shakti in April 2018. During Vayu Shakti we showed how accurately this aircraft could dispense weapons on target…. so that is the proof, … because it’s a fighter it has to behave like a fighter and it did well in both air-to-air and air-to-ground mode”.
General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff also flew in the two-seater LCA at Aero India 2019.
Of the 123 LCA Mk.Is to be inducted by the IAF, 16 of the IOC standard are already with No.45 Squadron, the next 16 in FOC-standard will form equipment of No.18 Squadron to be followed by 83 LCA Mk.IAs for which the RFP is to be issued shortly. All two-seat operational trainer versions will be to FOC-standard including the 8 from the initial batch.
Taxing out for a demonstration flight in a LCA trainer variant at Aero India 2019