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Aero India 2017: India will accelerate Tejas production
The Government of India has approved US $203 million for establishing a second production line for the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas, which will help supplant the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) legacy MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighter aircraft.
The announcement was made during Aero India 2017 by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Together, the two Tejas production line will annually roll-out 16 aircraft.
Although the IAF has sought requests-for-information (RFIs) for a new single engine multi-role fighter, which Saab and Lockheed Martin are competing to secure, Parrikar reiterated that the Indian government and the IAF remain “fully committed to the [Tejas].”
Sputnik News reports that the construction of the second production line will commence in three months.
The Indian government ordered 83 HAL Tejas in November 2016. The cost of purchase was set at $7 billion, which should include the aircraft and its requisite maintenance, logistics and training costs.
HAL is also floating a tender for active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radars for the forthcoming Tejas Mk-1A, and that too with transfer-of-technology for local manufacturing. The AESA radar program is to cost $1.85 billion for 100 radars.
Notes & Comments:
Although the IAF is seeking another single engine fighter, that program is at least several years away from materializing into serviceable jets, the Tejas is available today.
The projected subsystem suite – i.e. AESA radars, likely AESA-based electronic warfare (EW) and electronic countermeasures (ECM) systems, and industry-leading air-to-air munitions in the Rafael Python and Derby – position the Tejas as a credible and potent solution, especially from a defensive standpoint of denying access to India’s airspace. India’s commitment to the Tejas is expected.
That said, the procurement of a new single engine platform – especially the Saab Gripen-E – may duplicate the solution that is an enlarged Tejas (e.g. Tejas Mk2). In terms of design, specifications and performance, the Tejas Mk2 would essentially be in the same exact space as the Gripen-E.
8 Comments
by Superior Shakeel
100 radars are going to cost 2 billion$ ???
what kind of radars are these you could buy a squadron of fighter jets for that cost this is too steep a price for just radar’s something is not right or some hidden cost is also involved.
by Bilal Khan
The cost also involves tech-transfer for local manufacturing and support. The cost should also include the cost of lifecycle maintenance.
by Harshit Gupta
No,the radar purchase does not involve tot they should be buyed off the shelf according to IDRW.ORG
http://idrw.org/hal-to-fast-track-tejas-mk-1a-aesa-radar-selection-by-april-2017/
by Bilal Khan
I’m not aware of changes, but HAL’s actual RFQ document (still on the site) says ToT for local manufacturing:
http://hal-india.com/Tender_Details.aspx?Mkey=63&lKey=&Ckey=MTAzNjQ=&Divkey=MTY= https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4c7c3cd64ec96c9b3ffc857c2020aa714762b2531cc9d0d8c991872b80009f66.png
by MT
Elta had agreed in principle but israeli companies are spuriously notorious for not complying with the deal so this could be a bargaining tool by HAL to invite other western firms ensuring decent TOT from Elta 2052 variant
As part of HAL elta agreement, EL/M-2052 was to be fitted on Jaguar & Tejas MK1A would get modified/upgraded variant of Elta 2052 radar
by amar
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/33e6a4799bab920eb80816258b6c303f66a9874e60c4b4ce704d5c6ce55b79bc.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7f8e6c577c361cbc17f5ec0e3bf74c9962c75643670b0ec2208bce8e67e2263f.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1532bbfd0d350a31275dafdd8690fe00459a32d692c340bd9f20ca6735615bf0.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/95f776d408954a38c990e5699aee2f160223199a30738fd40a91d4bde374d9aa.jpg
This is the most recent pic of indigenous AESA radar for LCA. it has been designed here at bangalore by LRDE. It is expected to have a max range of 150kms against fighter sized target and can track 6 air targets simultaneously.
by amar
Hi @saqrkh:disqus
This LRDE radar has close to 800T/R modules! According to DG DRDO,they are gonna test this AESA on LSP-1 of tejas.
by Vivek
The $1.85 bin figure is most likely a misprint in the original DefenseNews article (“around 100 AESA radars will be bought at a cost of $1.85 billion million”).
Should be $1.85 million/unit or $185 million for the lot.