It is a multirole light fighter aircraft developed by India. It came from Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme. Its main mission was to replace India’s ageing MiG21 fighters. The Tejas has a pure delta wing configuration, with no tail planes or fore planes, and a single dorsal fin. It integrates technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics system, composite material structures, and a flat rated engine.
In the early eighties, it was realized that no organization existed which had the total capability to develop such an aircraft all on its own. The last time an indigenous fighter aircraft, the HF 24 flew was in 1961. Since then, the HF 24 assembly line had been shut down and the design team had been wound up. The only way left was to develop an aircraft from scratch.
To better accomplish these goals, the government of India in 1984 decided to establish the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) to manage the LCA programme. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, (HAL) was to be the principal partner with participation of various DRDO & CSIR Laboratories, Public & private sector industries and academic institutions.
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| HAL Tejas Cockpit |
Its length is 13.2 m, with a wing span of 8.2 m and an overall height of 4.4 m, it can reach a top speed of 1350 Kmph. Tejas incorporates a highly reliable quadruple digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System. The new generation glass cockpit comprises Multi-Function Displays (MFD), Head up Display (HUD) and Stand by Instrumentation System driven by Open Architecture Mission and Display Computer. This provides effective Human Machine Interface (HMI).The advanced utility and health management system provides system health and warnings to the pilot through an Open Architecture Computer (OAC).
Any modern fighter is only as good as the weapons she can deliver on target. The Tejas is designed to carry a veritable plethora of air to air, air to surface, precision guided and standoff weaponry. In the air to air arena, the Tejas carries long range beyond visual range weapons, with highly agile high off-foresight missiles to tackle any close combat threat. A wide variety of air to ground munitions and an extremely accurate navigation and attack system allow it to prosecute surface targets over land or at sea with unparalleled accuracy, giving the Tejas true multi/swing role capability.
Tejas development programme has also accomplished the design and development of two seater trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
