CallSignMaverick
Registered Member
Third type coming soon
HAL LCA Tejas: Updates, News & Discussions
- Thread starter indushek
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NeptunesVortex
Registered Member
CallSignMaverick
Registered Member
Where's the interview?
NeptunesVortex
Registered Member
Let me check that.
NeptunesVortex
Registered Member
Tejas has come a long way. The earlier versions depended on 5 major foreign components: American F404 engine, Russian 23 mm gun, Israeli radar and ASPJ and the British radome and ejection seat.
Now the picture is slowly changing. DRDO has already begun flight trials of the indigenous radome and HAL has placed orders for 122 AAAUs and 121 interface frames for the Uttam radar. The indigenous ASPJ isn't far behind either.
Once these are in place, the engine will be the last big foreign piece. Hopefully, Kaveri or another Indian engine will eventually take over. It has taken years to get here but this is how real self-reliance is built one system at a time.
Now the picture is slowly changing. DRDO has already begun flight trials of the indigenous radome and HAL has placed orders for 122 AAAUs and 121 interface frames for the Uttam radar. The indigenous ASPJ isn't far behind either.
Once these are in place, the engine will be the last big foreign piece. Hopefully, Kaveri or another Indian engine will eventually take over. It has taken years to get here but this is how real self-reliance is built one system at a time.
Does anyone know, why India chose an American engine of all things for their jet?
I mean, were they not aware of American policy of denial? There was Russian option too. Or European (EJ200).
Why American?
I mean, were they not aware of American policy of denial? There was Russian option too. Or European (EJ200).
Why American?
Mighty_Dragon_Strike
Trusted Member
They are making Russian engines (RD-33MK) in country from imported parts... Why use American engine then? Because American will add to supply chain risk.
They use RD-33MK in Mig-29 anyways and they have a decent sized Mig-29 fleet in Airforce and Navy.
Why create a zoo of engines?
A plane that flies is always better than one that is sitting in storage waiting engines.
Moreover, India is already operarting a large number of those engine, maintaining them and assembling them locally with some parts from Russia.
Bringing a new engine from a country known for its unreliability as a defense supplier makes use of American jet engine stupid.
India should have pivoted to european engines if not Russian ones. EJ200 would have been a saner choice. Or M88 engine would have been a better choice. France had even agreed to allow use of M88 core to complete Kaveri engine, in a fashion very similar to RM-12 used by Grippen.
At the present rate, India will get substantial Tejas MK1A in mid 2030s. Which is a very poor decision. The plane will be largely outdated on arrival.
