India’s Ministry of Defence has announced the expected addition of three new fighter jets to its fleet by 2026. Two planes will join the Air Force and one will serve in the Navy. The incoming aircraft include a new LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) model, the Mk-2 version, an Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) for the Air Force, and a Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) for the Navy. This development follows the approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of a transaction worth Rs. 48,000 crore for the procurement of 83 Tejas LCAs in both the Mk-1A and Mk-1 variants for the Indian Air Force.
About Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-2
The LCA Mk-2 is a 4.5 generation aircraft destined for use by the Indian Air Force. It comes as a replacement for the Mirage 2000 class of aircraft and has a more powerful engine with an increased payload capacity of 6.5 tonnes. The technology driving this aircraft has already been developed and utilized in the LCA. Having its origins in the 1980s, the LCA programme was initially intended to replace India’s dated MiG-21 fighters. Following the Mk-1A, the Mk-2 version is expected to offer superior manoeuverability. The planned rollout for the Mk-2 is set for 2022, with the first flight anticipated in 2023 and production to follow by 2026.
About Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)
The AMCA is a fifth-generation aircraft that will also join the Indian Air Force. Designed for stealth rather than manoeuverability, unlike the LCA, it features a unique shape which helps achieve a low radar cross-section and boasts an internal carriage of weapons. Once external weapons are dispensed with, the aircraft has adequate fuel and internal weapons to execute a highly competent operational role in stealth mode. There are two variants for the AMCA, Mk-1 and Mk-2. While the former will utilize an imported engine, similar to that of the LCA Mk-2, the latter will employ an indigenous engine. The first flight is slated for 2024-25, followed by trials and tests, leading up to full production by 2029.
About Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF)
Built specifically for Navy use, the TEDBF will replace the Navy’s MiG-29K. It will mark India’s first twin-engine aircraft project dedicated exclusively to carrier-based operations. The TEDBF will operate from INS Vikramaditya and the upcoming indigenous aircraft carrier. Predominantly equipped with domestic weapons, the aircraft specifications include a maximum Mach number of 1.6, a service ceiling of 60,000 feet, a maximum take-off weight of 26 tons, an unfolded wingspan of 11.2 meters, a folded wingspan of 7.2 meters, and a length of 16.3 meters. Although details about the engine configuration have not been provided, it is likely to employ the same engines powering the LCA Tejas aircraft. Its induction into the Navy is set to take place by 2030.
INS Vikramaditya
The INS Vikramaditya is India’s most powerful aircraft carrier. Constructed in 1987, the Indian navy purchased the vessel in 2004 and commissioned it nine years later in November 2013 at Severodvinsk, Russia. It was subsequently fitted with a Barak missile system developed jointly with Israel.
Last Modified: February 10, 2024