HAL to Start Integrating Indigenous Uttam AESA Radar in Tejas Mk1A from 2026

In a significant step towards bolstering India's self-reliance in defence technology, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has announced plans to integrate the indigenously developed Uttam AESA Fire Control Radar into the LCA-Tejas Mk1A fighter jets starting from 2026. This move marks a major milestone in India's journey towards equipping its frontline fighter aircraft with domestically produced cutting-edge radar systems.

While orders for the Tejas Mk1A are anticipated later this year, the incorporation of the Uttam radar will commence from the 41st aircraft onwards. The initial 40 jets will be equipped with the Israeli ELTA ELM-2052 AESA radar.

Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Uttam AESA radar is touted to outperform the ELM-2052 in several key aspects. It has successfully completed over 125 flight tests on Tejas prototypes, demonstrating its reliability and combat readiness.

The production of the Uttam AESA radar is slated to ramp up by 2026, coinciding with the delivery of Tejas Mk1A variants fitted with this advanced system.

The integration of the Uttam radar into the Tejas Mk1A program is expected to significantly enhance the fighter jet's combat capabilities, providing it with superior situational awareness and target acquisition capabilities. Moreover, this development reduces India's reliance on foreign suppliers for critical defence technologies, strengthening its indigenous defense industrial base.

 

[Andy]

40 deliveries 2 years?! Dream on...

 

[Anant]

41st Tejas, eh? 2028 sounds more likely unless HAL can conjure up a miracle or two.

 

[NSR]

Wonderful news indeed.
But how can they deliver 41 Tejas IAs in2 years or so? Not even one was delivered so far and it is already middle of 2024.
HAL keeps spinning stories to cover up their failures to meet milestones for almost all armaments deliveries.

Time to bring in a private player to give competition to HAL is extremely important

 

[Ranjeet Singh]

India should also seek tech for French Spectra EW suite and sensors for our fighters !

 

[Mithu Roy]

If everything is done why you are not putting it in new fighters

 

[Taus Melek]

HAL/DRDO heads need to be fired from their jobs, loss their pension and perks and publicly shamed. Who needs enemies when you have these parasites heading government research organisations in India!

 

[Pramkumar]

Now HAL and ADA must look for the way to integrate the Kaveri engine for the 2nd follow up orders of the MK1A.

 

[Dredd]

40 deliveries 2 years?! Dream on...

they will fit in 2026, then test it in 2027 and then deliver in 2029

 

[Rajsm]

If everything is done why you are not putting it in new fighters

It's a song that never ends.
They boast about things that don't work or they have not finished. Typical Indian Babu's DPSU with a useless MOD

 

[Bobby Singh]

40 deliveries 2 years?! Dream on...

They are not Samosas. seting up manufacturing will take some time

 

[Bobby Singh]

they will fit in 2026, then test it in 2027 and then deliver in 2029

Please read the article. They are talking about ramp up by 2026 not testing

 

[Bobby Singh]

Wonderful news indeed.
But how can they deliver 41 Tejas IAs in2 years or so? Not even one was delivered so far and it is already middle of 2024.
HAL keeps spinning stories to cover up their failures to meet milestones for almost all armaments deliveries.

Time to bring in a private player to give competition to HAL is extremely important

HAL new production plan is to manufacture 24 Tejas per year by 2025

 

[Akshat]

HAL new production plan is to manufacture 24 Tejas per year by 2025

Wasn't it HAL's own plan to make Tejas Mk2 by 2016 (as per tender's sent to vendors by HAL)? Or their own plan to deliver the 8 (and then the 10) trainers and 3 Mk1A planes last fiscal itself (as per deal signed)?

 

[Akshat]

Now HAL and ADA must look for the way to integrate the Kaveri engine for the 2nd follow up orders of the MK1A.

Why would anyone use that failed useless engine?

 

[Bobby Singh]

Wasn't it HAL's own plan to make Tejas Mk2 by 2016 (as per tender's sent to vendors by HAL)? Or their own plan to deliver the 8 (and then the 10) trainers and 3 Mk1A planes last fiscal itself (as per deal signed)?

Please appriciate the effort of HAL. It was not HAL but IAF who did NOT order the fighters until DEC 2023.

 

[Akshat]

Please appriciate the effort of HAL. It was not HAL but IAF who did NOT order the fighters until DEC 2023.

Absolute lies. IAF had ordered Tejas Mk1A in Feb 2021 itself. There is an official PIB notification. So instead of appreciating HAL, we should all be criticizing them and praying that they are removed from the face of this earth.

 

[Sandeep]

If everything is done why you are not putting it in new fighters

Once it’s certified then they have to find a production company, then they need to finalise a contract and license, negotiate on the numbers and technology transfer and price. Once all of that is done then the company has to find suppliers of raw material and components etc. That’s why it takes about 2-3 years to finalise a contract and then to start production and start delivering the radars and then to test the radars to make sure they work before finally installing it on the Tejas jet.

 

[Sandeep]

It’s great that they will soon produce the radars which is essential as it works better than the Israeli radar that we will first use. Currently we need to manufacture more jets as we need to increase the dwindling number of jets and squadrons.

It makes sense to install the Israeli radar while we are still certifying the Uttam radar, issuing and finalising a contract/license to a private/government company on the number of radars to build along with the price or technology.

Once all of that is done and production starts then we can always replace the Israeli radars so using the Israeli radars temporarily shouldn’t be seen as a corrupt deal by government officials or bureaucrats but seen as a practical and pragmatic solution to a problem that’s temporary.

 

[sumeet biswas]

40 deliveries 2 years?! Dream on...

They are saying they will deliver 16 this year so 40 by 2026 is not a hard target which is not achievable