Source: Tejas website & The Economic Times
Recently Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has scripted history by becoming the first Raksha Mantri to fly the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’
About Tejas
- Tejas is a multi-role fighter with several critical capabilities
- India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) together with its variants, is the smallest and lightest Multi-Role Supersonic Fighter Aircraft of its class.
- This single-engine, Compound-Delta-Wing, Tailless Aircraft is designed and developed by ADA with HAL as the principal partner along with DRDO, CSIR, BEL, DGAQA, IAF & IN to meet diverse needs of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy (IN).
- Tejas is an amalgamation of contemporary concepts and technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire Flight control, advanced glass cockpit, integrated digital avionics systems and advanced composite materials for the airframe.
- The first prototype of the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas’ Naval version – LCA NP1 completed its maiden flight as part of the carrier compatibility tests at the shore-based test facility in Goa.
- Tejas has participated in Hot Weather, Cold Weather, Iron Fist, Weapon Trials comprising of Bomb releases in CCRP/CCIP, R73E missile launching in MMR/HMDS Guided Mode, Stick bombing and separation trials of emergency Jettison of multiple stores/ Drop tank conducted at various locations in India.
- The LCA got Final Operational Clearance (FOC) from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) only earlier this year
- The certification confirmed Tejas as a multi-role fighter with capabilities like beyond visual range air-to-air and air-to-ground attack capabilities and longer endurance through mid-air refueling.
