20 Facts to Know About India’s Indigenous Fighter Plane: Tejas

• Tejas is the first indigenously Built Fighter Aircraft By India of International Standards
• The plans are to acquire over 80 aircraft with better specifications, known as Tejas 1A in the future
• Tejas is a four plus generation aircraft

Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is the first indigenously Built Fighter Aircraft By India of International Standards. The dream of having a squadron of the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has been realized, after years of delay. In a ceremony in Bengaluru, two LCA aircraft was been inducted into the IAF squadron, known as the 'Flying Daggers 45'.

For first two years, the LCA squadron will be based in Bengaluru, after which it will move to Sulur in Tamil Nadu.

Also Read: First indigenous Combat Plane of India enters service after 33 Years

The Air Force has said that the aircraft will feature in the force's combat plan next year and it might be deployed in forward bases as well. The plans are to acquire over 80 aircraft with better specifications, known as Tejas 1A in the future.

Take a look at some of the amazing facts related to the pride of our nation, Tejas.

1. In 1984, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) was set up by the government to develop the LCA programme and in 1986, Rs 575 crores were allocated by the then government towards funding the programme.
2. Finally, on 4^th January 2001, the light combat aircraft made its first flight which was a significant milestone in the Indian aviation industry.
3. When the project was initially launched, it would have cost India just Rs 7,000 crore ( USD 1 Billion Dollar ) – peanuts when compared to costs of similar aircraft in the world. The DRDO is also working on making an advanced version of the aircraft with twin engines.
4. Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will replace the MiG-21 series. The aircraft is a result of several years of design and development nearly 3 decades works from the DRDO.
5. The aim of the LCA program was to deliver the best single engine lightweight fighter in the world. The programme was started in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters. LCA was officially named "Tejas" by the then Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003 which means "Radiant" in Sanskrit.

1. To assist the development of the navy variants of Tejas, a shore-based testing facility was created in Goa. Wikimedia Commons

2. Tejas is capable of flying non-stop to destinations over 1700 km away and its Radius of Action is up to 500 km depending upon the nature and duration of actual combat.
3. The Defense Research and Development Organization are developing four versions of Tejas – LCA and LCA trainer for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. To assist the development of the navy variants of the aircraft, a shore-based testing facility was created in Goa, including a ramp that mimics the takeoff/landing deck of an aircraft carrier.
4. Tejas aircraft is the best in its class around the world. It is a four plus generation aircraft. The wings are made entirely of composite structures and have a totally digital fly-by-wire control system.
5. One of the major features that make the Tejas a unique aircraft is its 'unstable configuration' technique with which it has been built. The aircraft's design is unstable as the unstable design makes it extremely manoeuvrable, giving it a distinct edge over its competitors when it comes to dogfights. To put it in simple words, between a bike and a car, a car is much more stable but is unable to exhibit the same manoeuvrability as a bike. Combat aircraft need to be highly manoeuvrable.
6. Tejas has a pure double delta wing configuration with no tailplanes or canard and a single dorsal fin. The aircraft is integrated with relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, multi-mode radar and a flat rated engine. The aircraft is smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft.
7. The Tejas is the second supersonic fighter being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after the HAL HF-24 Marut. In 2016, the Tejas MK1 was in production for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the naval version was undergoing flight tests for Indian Navy (IN). The present requirement for Air Force is 200 single-seat fighters and 20 twin-seat trainers, while the Indian Navy expects to operate 40 single-seat fighters.
8. The first Tejas unit was formed on 1 July 2016 with two aircraft. The existing Tejas are stationed at Bangalore and the first squadron will be placed at its home base at Sulur, Tamil Nadu
9. Most of the military equipment producing companies are investing significantly in radars to detect incoming aircraft and air defence systems to shoot them down, stealth is the new cornerstone of any new aircraft development. The basic idea is to keep the Radar Cross Section (RCS) as low as possible.
10. Tejas employs various features to keep the RCS low which includes extensive use of composite materials (which do not reflect radar waves), Y-shaped air inlets and a generous coating of radar-absorbing materials over the control surfaces.

1. Tejas body structure is composed of 42% carbon fibre composites, 43% aluminium alloy and the remainder titanium alloy. Wikimedia Commons

2. Tejas has 8 weapon hardpoints, three under each wing, one under the central body and one under the air inlets on the left side of the plane. This allows Tejas to use a wide range of the weapon systems. The weapons include air-to-surface (including anti-ship) missiles, mid and close-range air-to-air missiles, precision-guided weapons, conventional bombs, cluster bombs and unguided rockets. The pylons can carry a maximum of 4 tons of weapons. These weapons are in addition to the plane's main gun, a 23mm twin barreled cannon with 220 rounds.
3. The aircraft also integrates a 'glass cockpit' in which information is displayed 'real-time' to the pilot. It also has open architecture software for avionics and DRDO can update it as and when required.
4. The Tejas prototypes had completed over 1000 test flights and over 530 hours of flight testing by January 2009. In 2013 only, there were over 450 test flights. The various prototypes underwent rigorous training in hot weather in Jaisalmer at the peak of summers. For freezing cold weather and high altitude testing, the planes were taken to Ladakh.
5. Tejas comes loaded with Multi-Mode Weapon multirole capability. It can fire Laser Guided Bombs, has passed all the tests for "All Weather Clearance" and has been cleared for fly without any telemetry support. Due to it weaponry capabilities, the IAF to carry out forward airfield operations, air superiority and offensive air support missions, all-weather multi-role operations, electronic countermeasures and night flying operations.
6. Tejas body structure is composed of 42% carbon fibre composites, 43% aluminium alloy and the remainder titanium alloy.
7. In 2016, the aircraft participated in its first foreign show at the Bahrain International Air Show 2016. There Tejas was compared to Pakistan's JF-17 Thunder (a Pakistani aircraft, manufactured with the help of China).