

The quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system, performing flawlessly for over 50 hours of pilot testing on Technology Demonstrator TD-1 cleared for flight test by early 2001. The NAL's CLAW team completed the design and integration of the flight control laws with the flight control system software, and put to test at the Iron-Bird test rig. Tejas technology demonstrator in inverted flight However Lockheed Martin withdrew its assistance In 1998, owing to the US embargo in response to India's second nuclear tests in that year, which delayed the programme. Earlier Lockheed Martin's consultancy was utilized for the development of fly by wire flight control system. In 1992, a dedicated National Control Law (CLAW) team was set up by the National Aerospace Laboratories to develop India's own state of the art FBW flight control system for the Tejas. Kota Harinarayana was the Programme Director and Chief Designer of Tejas. The design of the Tejas was finalised in 1990 – a small tailless compound delta wing design with inherent relaxed static stability which necessitates the need for digital FBW flight control system ( control configured vehicle concept) for enhanced manoeuvrability.

But the ADA was in favour of having a quadruplex digital FBW flight control system on LCA. It consists of three digital channels and one analogue channel, the French idea was to have a fourth analogue channel as a back up in case the digital channels fails. In 1988, Dassault had offered a hybrid fly by wire flight control system for the LCA. Dassault-Breguet's expertise was mainly utilised in the design and system integration of the Tejas. The project definition phase was commenced in October 1986 with France's Dassault-Breguet Aviation as consultant. The government's "self-reliance" goals for the LCA included the three most sophisticated and challenging systems: the Fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system, multi-mode pulse-doppler radar, and afterburning turbofan engine. The ADA was entrusted with the design and development of LCA while HAL was chosen as the principal contractor. In 1984, the Government of India established Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the aegis of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to manage the LCA programme. The "Long Term Re-Equipment Plan 1981" noted that most of these IAF fighters were approaching the end of their service lives by the early-1990s, and that by 1995, the IAF would be 40 percent short of the aircraft needed to fill its projected force structure requirements. At one point the IAF had operated as many as 874 MiG-21s. In 1983, the Government of India established the LCA project with the initial goal to develop a new light combat aircraft to replace the ageing IAF fighters, especially the MiG-21 variants, which had been the mainstay of the IAF since 1963. The origin of LCA programme can be traced back to the early 1980s. Īs of 2016 indigenous content in the Tejas Mark 1 was 59.7% by value and 75.5% by number of line replaceable units.
HONEYCOMB AERONAUTICAL SERIES
The Tejas Mark 2 is expected to be ready for series production by 2026. The IAF plans to procure 324 aircraft in all variants, including the Tejas Mark 2 currently being developed by the HAL. The IAF currently placed an order for 40 Tejas Mark 1 and 73 Tejas Mark 1A and 10 trainer aircraft. The Tejas currently has three production models – Tejas Mark 1, Mark 1A and trainer variant. 45 Squadron IAF Flying Daggers was the first to have their MiG-21s replaced with the Tejas. The first Tejas squadron became operational in 2016, as No.

The Tejas achieved initial operational clearance in 2011 and final operational clearance in 2019. The Tejas is the second supersonic fighter developed by HAL after the HAL HF-24 Marut. It is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft. In 2003, the LCA was officially named "Tejas". It came from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters but later became part of a general fleet modernisation programme. The HAL Tejas is an Indian, single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) in collaboration with Aircraft Research and Design Centre (ARDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Aircraft Research and Design Centre (HAL)ĭefence Research and Development OrganisationĤ0 as of 30 October 2021
