ADA Affirms Tejas Mk2's Continued Development Crucial for AMCA and TEDBF Amidst Global Trend Towards 6th Gen Fighters

As the world shifts its focus towards sixth-generation combat aircraft, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has strongly defended the continued development of India's 4.5+ generation Tejas Mk2.

Responding to critics who question the platform's relevance in an era of rapidly advancing technology, ADA emphasizes the Tejas Mk2's crucial role as a stepping stone and technology testbed for future indigenous fighter aircraft programs.

The Tejas Mk2, or LCA Mk2, is not merely another fighter jet; it represents a vital stage in the evolution of India's indigenous aircraft design capabilities. Building upon the lessons and technologies of the LCA Mk1 program, the Mk2 serves as a platform to refine and innovate before transitioning to more advanced systems.

By developing the LCA Mk2, India can implement and test numerous new systems that can later be integrated into the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) and Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) programs.

This approach significantly reduces the risks associated with future projects by ensuring new technologies are thoroughly tested and optimized on an existing platform.

With the LCA Mk2 serving as a testbed for foundational technologies, the AMCA program can concentrate on pioneering fifth-generation capabilities like stealth, supercruise, and advanced sensor fusion without being burdened by basic system integration.

Similarly, for the TEDBF, designed for naval operations, the systems perfected on the LCA Mk2 can be adapted to meet the unique challenges of carrier-based aviation, allowing developers to focus on naval-specific features.

Furthermore, introducing new weapons on the LCA Mk2 creates a testbed for integration, enabling faster adoption for future aircraft and shortening the development cycle for weapon systems on more advanced platforms.

Investing in the LCA Mk2 allows India to optimize its defence budget by spreading development costs across multiple platforms. It also provides a quicker return on investment, as the LCA Mk2 can enter service sooner and contribute to national defence while other projects mature.

Crucially, the project supports India's drive towards self-reliance in defence technology, fostering a domestic ecosystem of aerospace innovation vital for long-term strategic autonomy.

While acknowledging the global focus on sixth-generation capabilities, ADA argues that bypassing the 4.5+ generation would create capability gaps in India's immediate and near-future defence needs.

The LCA Mk2 aims to bridge these gaps by providing a modern, capable fighter that can be upgraded throughout its service life, potentially extending its relevance well into the era of sixth-generation aircraft.

 

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[PKPRS]

Tejas MK2 is an absolute must as this will be the critical stepping stone for products like TEDBF/ORCA and AMCA.

 

[Steel Mathi]

India definitely needs low-cost, light and medium aircraft to protect and monitor its borders and to counter enemy aircraft crossing its borders. But fourth-generation aircraft are definitely not suitable for penetrating into enemy territory.

Only fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft can penetrate enemy territory and destroy enemy air superiority, conduct ground attacks inside enemy territory, and destroy enemy safe havens. Fourth-generation aircraft can never do that.

Fifth-generation aircraft can carry less weight and go inside enemy territory and attack.

Sixth-generation aircraft can carry more weight and carry more weapons, electronic attacks, and drone guidance.

After 2030, India will be able to operate only within Indian territory with the Su-30mki, Tejas, Rafale, Mirage 2000, and MiG29 aircraft currently in use. We will definitely not be able to attack a country with the best air defense technology using these aircraft.

 

[SR]

Building 4 types of fighter jets (Tejas 2, TEDBF, AMCA 1, AMCA 2) requires a mammoth amount of cost for R&D. Learn from South Korea & the US.

See South Korea developing KF-21 in 2 versions: a 4.5 gen & 5th gen. It saves a lot of money for R&D, spare parts, and also valuable time.

We should learn from the US. Seeing the huge money required for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, it scrapped all its fighter programs for those branches. After scrapping all those programs, the US went for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, where a single design with different components in each type serves 3 branches. Then the US developed F-35 A, B, C.

Learning from South Korea & the US, we should scrap all programs and develop a single design serving as 4.5 gen for the Navy and Air Force, and the same design should serve the 5th gen program.

 

[SR]

5th gen are like special forces, 4.5 & 4th gen are like infantry. Both are required for their own specific roles. Even 3rd gen & WW2-era propeller fighters also have their own specific roles in a prolonged full-scale war, which may not happen.

But Tejas 2 is a must.

 

[P.K Senapati]

ADA and Indian Airforce should go ahead with Tejas Mk2 development flight rest and production.Engine for Mk2 can be GEF414 or Indigenious Kaveri2.
This will complement Rafal squadons.
The AMCA fifth generation is taking time as the partner for engine is yet to be finalized.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

AMCA should be manufactured with the Kaveri engine ASAP. Drop Tejas Mk2.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

With changed reality. We should not pursue two 5th gen jet fighters (minus 5 and 5.5). We should make AMCA and its naval variant. Drop TEDBF and instead pursue 6th gen fighter. Spend more on metallurgy, jet engine and electronics R&D.

 

[Rational Guy]

4.5 gen fighters will still form bulk of air forces around the world for next 2-3 decades.

 

[tipoo2]

Tejas will still be needed as an affordable mass fighter no matter what. But it needs firm large orders to get to that economy of scale. There's also a lot of concurrent technologies that step from each fighter to the next, it's not like we can skip Tejas MK2 and jump to 6th gen tomorrow.

 

[tipoo2]

With changed reality. We should not pursue two 5th gen jet fighters (minus 5 and 5.5). We should make AMCA and its naval variant. Drop TEDBF and instead pursue 6th gen fighter. Spend more on metallurgy, jet engine and electronics R&D.

I've been thinking a lot about this. AMCA has basically only started development in earnest. It may be worth tacking on another few years in order to get to a 6th gen platform faster than if we develop everything one at a time. Some sort of large foreign fighter deal will be needed until then, whether it's another few squadrons of Rafale or Su-57M as an interim fifth gen fighter to take some pressure off while we rethink to sixth.

 

[Preet]

With changed reality. We should not pursue two 5th gen jet fighters (minus 5 and 5.5). We should make AMCA and its naval variant. Drop TEDBF and instead pursue 6th gen fighter. Spend more on metallurgy, jet engine and electronics R&D.

I used to say the same earlier: better go with Naval AMCA and cancel TEDBF. But the story isn't that simple.The Navy was offered Naval AMCA only, and they evaluated it and decided to opt for a 4.5+ gen instead. The reason being range and maintenance. Firstly, we need a very large combat radius at sea. And also, it's less about air-to-air and a lot more about carrying long-range A2G, A2S weapons, and of course, with the fuel tanks. No wonder the US still mostly has Super Hornets and doesn't plan to replace them fully. Secondly, the RAM paint on seas gets corroded very easily, and you need huge funds for maintenance.So it's fine if the Navy goes with TEDBF, and alongside, I'm sure they will buy 25-30 AMCAs for special missions in 2035-40.