Tejas combat aircraft: Know key features of 'Made in India' fighter jet; why it’s in demand by US, Australia

Amid the recent mishap involving the crash of a MiG 21 fighter jet that claimed the lives of two pilots of the Indian Air Force, many were demanding the introduction of new and improved planes in the arsenal of the national armed forces. Enter – Tejas fighter jets.

In recent news, the government announced in Lok Sabha that several countries have expressed an interest in procuring the Tejas combat aircraft developed by India for their own defence forces. The Centre announced that Malaysia is procuring 18 Tejas fighter jets.

Further, countries such as the United States, Australia Egypt, Indonesia and the Philippines have shown interest to procure the light combat aircraft (LCA), which has been developed in India, by the state-owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Key features of Tejas combat aircraft

HAL was awarded a Rs 48,000 crore contract by the central government to develop 83 Tejas aircraft by the year 2023, and the deadline is set to roll up soon. The made-in-India aircraft has been designed to compete with fighter jets from Russia, China and South Korea, while experts believe that it is better than that of each of these countries.

While speaking to IANS, Defence expert Qamar Agha talked about the many key features of the Tejas fighter jet which makes it superior to the aircraft of many countries, including those developed by Russia’s Sukhoi.

As quoted by IANS, Agha said, “Tejas is fully capable of carrying a load of eight to nine tonnes. It can fly with as many weapons and missiles as Sukhoi, which weighs more. Its biggest advantage is its speed. Despite being light, its speed is unmatched. These aircraft can fly as fast as the speed of sound, i.e., Mach 1.6 to 1.8, up at an altitude of 52,000 feet.”

According to the defence expert, the Tejas Mark-1A, though costlier than the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft, has many latest features added to it. The radar for the aircraft has been developed in Israel, with lighter weight and higher fighting power.

Due to these exceptional qualities of the aircraft, the Indian government is getting requests from several foreign countries to provide them with the much superior Tejas fighter jet, which will be ready by 2023.

(With IANS inputs)

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