TEDBF Fighter Program Nears Flight Testing, Awaits Key Funding

India's ambitious program to develop the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) for the Indian Navy is on track, with the first test flight anticipated within 3-4 years, according to Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade.

In a recent media interaction, Admiral Ghormade outlined the TEDBF program's progress. He affirmed that the design and specifications of the aircraft have been finalized, indicating significant advancement toward the fighter jet's eventual production.

Despite this positive momentum, a significant hurdle remains for the TEDBF program. Full-scale engineering development (FSED) funding, a crucial phase for detailed design and prototyping, has not yet been approved. Admiral Ghormade acknowledged this challenge while underscoring that the Navy is likely to pursue budgetary support through established government channels.

The TEDBF program is integral to the Indian Navy's modernization efforts. A domestically produced, twin-engine fighter specifically designed for carrier operations would significantly enhance India's maritime defense capabilities and promote greater self-reliance in defense manufacturing.

While the TEDBF's potential is clear, its progression hinges on securing the necessary FSED funding. The timing and amount of this funding will ultimately determine the project's pace and whether the Indian Navy can bolster its fleet with homegrown, advanced carrier fighters in the years to come.

 

[Hari Sud]

Too much time involved.

 

[bonito]

Tedbf is not important at this stage. World over wars are snowballing. They might knock out door any time. It is predicted that this decade will be conflicts and end of the decade there will be a major war around the globe. We better buy Rafale-M for next 10 yrs service and slowly build a more improved version augmenting all the technological advancements available in future.

 

[sanket]

post election TEDBFFund Approval then Followed by MRFA & Foreign partner for AMCA Engine development. this three thing may b Fast Tracked.

 

[shivkumar sinha]

Bharat must move fast on TEDBF as we have only 7-8 years window to get them. Till 2032 ,sister ship of Vikrant will arrive that will require carriers based fighters.

 

[kumar]

After elections, GOI must approve first tedbf and then mrfa.

 

[SK]

I really don't understand the rationale behind such investment when it's only for 40+ Jets.

I hope that Indian-Govt will consider to encourage a JV b/w IAF & IN to invest in:-

1. TEDBF (ORCA)
2. AMCA

This will insure Logistical synergy & Economy of Scales for Indian Navy & Aerospace industry.

I think IAF needs to recalculate the combat Squadron strength for a 2-front War.

 

[Sandeep]

This is a key and important jet that we need to develop as they are the only type that can be used on our carriers. Although not a complete stealth jet they have managed to design and develop the jet by using more advanced composites, radar absorbing paint, engine air intake bump, engine infrared reduction etc which will reduce its detection capabilities a lot.

Hopefully they can finish developing the design and technology as soon as possible as our carriers need more jets to replace the very old current Mig 29 jet which needs retiring but also with an increase in the number of carriers we will need more jets like the TEDBF so its best to make the Rafale deal which will give us more time and money.

 

[Frank]

Wow...

I still don't understand why IAF said no to orca in 2016..

Absurd

 

[Anant]

I really don't understand the rationale behind such investment when it's only for 40+ Jets.

I hope that Indian-Govt will consider to encourage a JV b/w IAF & IN to invest in:-

1. TEDBF (ORCA)
2. AMCA

This will insure Logistical synergy & Economy of Scales for Indian Navy & Aerospace industry.

I think IAF needs to recalculate the combat Squadron strength for a 2-front War.

It has already been shown that the TEDBF line will easily cross 150 or so aircraft, and may even approach 200 depending on how many shore squadrons the Navy wants to set up.

 

[Anant]

Wow...

I still don't understand why IAF said no to orca in 2016..

Absurd

Because they already have the Tejas Mk 2 and AMCA as a 4.5th and 5th generation fighter, with MRFA being a necessity to boost and maintain squadron numbers. Because the IAF knew there would be production bottlenecks if we tried to build three types of aircraft simultaneously.

 

[Akshat]

I really don't understand the rationale behind such investment when it's only for 40+ Jets.

I hope that Indian-Govt will consider to encourage a JV b/w IAF & IN to invest in:-

1. TEDBF (ORCA)
2. AMCA

This will insure Logistical synergy & Economy of Scales for Indian Navy & Aerospace industry.

I think IAF needs to recalculate the combat Squadron strength for a 2-front War.

I really hope they don’t. It will ruin the economies of scale and destroy synergies within the force.

 

[Jay K Sinhal]

Why have two parallel programs, AMCA and this one. Merge both and save billions!

 

[Anant]

Why have two parallel programs, AMCA and this one. Merge both and save billions!

You can't. A navalised AMCA was looked into, but it was found developing it would entail large compromises in capability that would make a N-AMCA somewhat pointless. The IAF wanted a 5th generation fighter, so we get two programs.

 

[PARTHAJIT JANA]

This is a key and important jet that we need to develop as they are the only type that can be used on our carriers. Although not a complete stealth jet they have managed to design and develop the jet by using more advanced composites, radar absorbing paint, engine air intake bump, engine infrared reduction etc which will reduce its detection capabilities a lot.

Hopefully they can finish developing the design and technology as soon as possible as our carriers need more jets to replace the very old current Mig 29 jet which needs retiring but also with an increase in the number of carriers we will need more jets like the TEDBF so its best to make the Rafale deal which will give us more time and money.

Mig 29ks are not very old(acquired in 2005_10) but they are extremely bad. These were the models that basically survived because of India's money. Engines are really bad, jets are not so good in sea conditions, landing gears are not strong enough

 

[Pink Panther]

Too much time involved.

they might just cance TEDBF and go got 24 more Rafale-M's even though it doesn't fir in the elevator or can carry full payload like in French catapult based Carrier or can work effectively in humid IOR.

 

[Pink Panther]

Tedbf is not important at this stage. World over wars are snowballing. They might knock out door any time. It is predicted that this decade will be conflicts and end of the decade there will be a major war around the globe. We better buy Rafale-M for next 10 yrs service and slowly build a more improved version augmenting all the technological advancements available in future.

Absolutely, may be not in the next 5-7 years or so, we already have 48 Mig-29K's for both Carriers, for Rafale-M, Navy has to wait for another 10 years after France supplies all the 300 Rafales in the backlog, MK2 is what is needed urgently.

 

[Pink Panther]

post election TEDBFFund Approval then Followed by MRFA & Foreign partner for AMCA Engine development. this three thing may b Fast Tracked.

MRFA may be tied to GE-414 engine.

 

[Pink Panther]

After elections, GOI must approve first tedbf and then mrfa.

Depends who wins.

 

[desigandu]

We have Tejas MK1As/MK2s, and then AMCA-Mk1s/Mk2s, then the Super Sukhoi upgrades, and plans for MRFA...Of course there are critical dependencies - engines, speed of implementation, retirement of old jets etc...So what would be an optimum approach so we can solve for most major issues by 2030-2035...Here is one options I believe worth exploring - Tejas , AMCA and Super Sukhois and critical and thus need maximum focus, that leaves MRFA and TEDBF...Even if sign MRFA by 2026, the 1st jets assembled in India will not start till 2030, but we may get the Rafales-Ms sooner, and even if GOI approves funds for TEDBF in 2025, it will take them till 2035 to be operationalized...Could we reduce MRFA (buy 72 off the shelf Rafales + 26 Rafale-Ms) , buy F-35s, provided the american play ball starting deliveries in 2030+ 72/96/120 F-35A/B/C), scrap TEDBF and besides Rafale-Ms for our carriers, long term just use F-35B/C for our carriers (even the 65-75K Ton ones)...Yes it will not be ideal for atma nirbharta, but will be faster/expensive/more capable, while we focus on 400-500 Tejas Mk2s, and 500 AMCAs, to take us till 2050...Again this is one option and many other options could be modelled...Vital is long term atma nirbharta, a powerful domestic engine and mastery of stealth capabilities...also let us buy into the GCAP program as an equity partner provided UK+Japan+Italy play ball, which I think they will.