Indias air force is set to receive the countrys first locally-designed and developed supersonic fighter jet, the Tejas, in a significant milestone for its aerospace industry as it tries to phase out the aging and accident-prone MiG-21 jet fleet.
State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. plans initially to produce eight of the single-engine multi-role fighter jets a year from 2014, and to double production rate at a later stage after consultations with the air force and the defense ministry, R. K. Tyagi, chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics said Thursday.
Conceived in 1983 as the Light Combat Aircraft program, the project to develop the Tejas was delayed for several years because of difficulties related to developing the jet from scratch, which resulted in an escalation in the cost. The aircraft has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency among other government agencies with Hindustan Aeronautics as the principal partner. It has a digital fly-by-wire flight control system and composites were used extensively to develop its airframe to provide strength and offer lower radar visibility.
The aircraftwhich is powered by a General Electric Co.GE +0.80% engine received the first so-called initial operational clearance from the Indian government in Jan. 2011. The second initial operational clearance which means the fighter is ready to operate in all conditionswas awarded on Friday, paving the way for its series production by Hindustan Aeronautics and induction into the fleet of the air force, according to the company. The Tejas will not be combat-ready until 2015 when it receives its final operational clearancewhich would involve the integration of weapon systems and air-to-air refueling.
The Soviet-era MiG-21 has been the combat backbone of Indias air force for 50 years with nearly 1,000 planes in the fleet. However, a spate of accidents in which some of which killed several young air force pilots, and the armed forces push to upgrade its weaponry, led the government to initiate steps to retire the MiG-21.
In May 2012, Indias defense minister A. K. Antony said that 171 Indian pilots, 39 civilians, eight service personnel and one member of an aircrew had lost their lives in accidents with the MiG series of aircraft, which ranges from the MiG-21 to the MiG-29 between 1971 and April 2012.
The induction of advanced supersonic jets such as the Tejas forms part of a modernization drive of the Indian armed forcesincluding its army and navy, as neighbors China and Pakistan also upgrade their military capabilities. Indias military comprises mainly aging Soviet-era equipment, including helicopters and infantry combat vehicles.
The South Asian nation is the worlds biggest arms importer by value with an average annual defense budget of more than $30 billion. It imports about 70% of its defense equipment, such as fighter jets, warships, helicopters, missiles and radars, from countries such as Russia, Israel, the U.S. and France.
One of Indias key defense projects is the potential acquisition of 126 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation S.A. of France. Commercial talks are continuing with Dassault, Defense minister Mr. Antony said in October. Dassault has emerged as the preferred bidder for the fighter-jet tender, which is estimated by analysts, companies, and government officials to be a more than $10 billion deal.
India is also jointly developing a fifth-generation fighter jet with Russia, and is also upgrading its fleet of other fighter jets including the Mirage-2000 and MiG-29.
A total of 254 MiG-21 planes are currently in service with Indias air force, Mr. Antony said in Parliament Tuesday. He said 38 of Indias MiG-21 jets have crashed from April 2003 through Nov. 2013. The air force plans to phase out the MiG-21 in a staged manner, and replace it with the Tejas.
Introducing Tejas: India?s First Home-Grown Supersonic Fighter Jet - India Real Time - WSJ
State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. plans initially to produce eight of the single-engine multi-role fighter jets a year from 2014, and to double production rate at a later stage after consultations with the air force and the defense ministry, R. K. Tyagi, chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics said Thursday.
Conceived in 1983 as the Light Combat Aircraft program, the project to develop the Tejas was delayed for several years because of difficulties related to developing the jet from scratch, which resulted in an escalation in the cost. The aircraft has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency among other government agencies with Hindustan Aeronautics as the principal partner. It has a digital fly-by-wire flight control system and composites were used extensively to develop its airframe to provide strength and offer lower radar visibility.
The aircraftwhich is powered by a General Electric Co.GE +0.80% engine received the first so-called initial operational clearance from the Indian government in Jan. 2011. The second initial operational clearance which means the fighter is ready to operate in all conditionswas awarded on Friday, paving the way for its series production by Hindustan Aeronautics and induction into the fleet of the air force, according to the company. The Tejas will not be combat-ready until 2015 when it receives its final operational clearancewhich would involve the integration of weapon systems and air-to-air refueling.
The Soviet-era MiG-21 has been the combat backbone of Indias air force for 50 years with nearly 1,000 planes in the fleet. However, a spate of accidents in which some of which killed several young air force pilots, and the armed forces push to upgrade its weaponry, led the government to initiate steps to retire the MiG-21.
In May 2012, Indias defense minister A. K. Antony said that 171 Indian pilots, 39 civilians, eight service personnel and one member of an aircrew had lost their lives in accidents with the MiG series of aircraft, which ranges from the MiG-21 to the MiG-29 between 1971 and April 2012.
The induction of advanced supersonic jets such as the Tejas forms part of a modernization drive of the Indian armed forcesincluding its army and navy, as neighbors China and Pakistan also upgrade their military capabilities. Indias military comprises mainly aging Soviet-era equipment, including helicopters and infantry combat vehicles.
The South Asian nation is the worlds biggest arms importer by value with an average annual defense budget of more than $30 billion. It imports about 70% of its defense equipment, such as fighter jets, warships, helicopters, missiles and radars, from countries such as Russia, Israel, the U.S. and France.
One of Indias key defense projects is the potential acquisition of 126 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation S.A. of France. Commercial talks are continuing with Dassault, Defense minister Mr. Antony said in October. Dassault has emerged as the preferred bidder for the fighter-jet tender, which is estimated by analysts, companies, and government officials to be a more than $10 billion deal.
India is also jointly developing a fifth-generation fighter jet with Russia, and is also upgrading its fleet of other fighter jets including the Mirage-2000 and MiG-29.
A total of 254 MiG-21 planes are currently in service with Indias air force, Mr. Antony said in Parliament Tuesday. He said 38 of Indias MiG-21 jets have crashed from April 2003 through Nov. 2013. The air force plans to phase out the MiG-21 in a staged manner, and replace it with the Tejas.
Introducing Tejas: India?s First Home-Grown Supersonic Fighter Jet - India Real Time - WSJ
