With DSI Intakes, 5th-Gen Tech and Cost Efficiency, Homegrown TEDBF Poised to Rival Rafale M for Indian Aircraft Carriers

TEDBF.webp


India's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is developing the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF), a promising new naval fighter designed to operate from the Indian Navy's aircraft carriers.

While drawing inspiration from the formidable Dassault Rafale M, the TEDBF incorporates several key distinctions that position it as a unique and potentially superior platform.

Visually, the TEDBF shares a similar frontal shape and canopy layout with the Rafale M, but a closer look reveals significant differences. One standout feature is the TEDBF's Diverterless Supersonic Intakes (DSI). Unlike the Rafale M, the TEDBF utilizes these innovative intakes to reduce drag and radar cross-section, enhancing stealth capabilities crucial for operating in radar-heavy maritime environments. DSIs also offer easier maintenance and contribute to overall weight reduction.

Cost efficiency is another major advantage for the TEDBF. While a single Rafale M can exceed $110 million, the projected cost of a TEDBF unit is less than $70 million. This allows for a larger fleet size and reduces India's reliance on foreign suppliers, aligning with the nation's push for self-reliance in defense.

The TEDBF is also leaps ahead in technological integration. Designed with fifth-generation technologies in mind, it will feature Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars for superior target detection and tracking, advanced stealth features, cutting-edge avionics, and robust electronic countermeasures. These advancements give the TEDBF a potential edge over the Rafale M in electronic warfare and survivability.

Furthermore, the TEDBF boasts reinforced landing gear specifically designed to withstand the rigors of carrier landings. Optimized for short take-off and landing operations, the landing gear incorporates advanced materials to handle the stress of repeated high-impact landings on carrier decks.

Unlike the Rafale M's fixed wings, the TEDBF will have foldable wings, a crucial feature for maximizing limited space on aircraft carriers. This design choice enhances storage efficiency and allows for greater flexibility in carrier operations.

Additionally, the TEDBF's compatibility with both ski-jump ramps and catapult-assisted take-off systems (CATOBAR) makes it adaptable to a wider range of carriers, including India's current and future vessels.

While the TEDBF and Rafale M share some aesthetic similarities, the Indian fighter is a distinct platform built upon indigenous innovation and tailored to the specific requirements of the Indian Navy. With its advanced capabilities, cost-effectiveness, and operational flexibility, the TEDBF is poised to become a cornerstone of India's maritime power projection and a testament to its growing self-reliance in defense technology.
 
TEDBF AESA Radar will b GaN based unlike GaA of Rafale M, TEDBF with 70MN$ may find Export market after development Bharat will become few nation to have able to developed & inducted Naval variant of Fighter jet
 
Engines will not be delivered to HAL due to USA sanctions on Indian companies selling arms and ammos to Roos....
 
Only when AON is granted, approved by DAC & funds are released.. can't understand the reason for delay in approvals
 
TEDBF AESA Radar will b GaN based unlike GaA of Rafale M, TEDBF with 70MN$ may find Export market after development Bharat will become few nation to have able to developed & inducted Naval variant of Fighter jet
A small correction.. TEDBF is not a naval version of any fighter..its a clean sheet design. ORCA, the fighter for IAF, was supposed to be a variant of TEDBF, not the other way around
 
Engines will not be delivered to HAL due to USA sanctions on Indian companies selling arms and ammos to Roos....
TEDBF is a decade away. War between Russia and Ukraine won't go on for that long. Also HAL isn't sanctioned so it won't have trouble getting engine. On top of that, since there is enough time, we can get engine from some other country. May be some indigenous engine will be ready by then. If the dimension of the other engine isn't too different from GE 414, design change won't require much effort either.
 
A small correction.. TEDBF is not a naval version of any fighter..its a clean sheet design. ORCA, the fighter for IAF, was supposed to be a variant of TEDBF, not the other way around
TEDBF literally stands for twin engine deck based fighter lol
 
TEDBF AESA Radar will b GaN based unlike GaA of Rafale M, TEDBF with 70MN$ may find Export market after development Bharat will become few nation to have able to developed & inducted Naval variant of Fighter jet
ORCA could also be india's answer to Rafale and Eurofighter, we can compete with those those two in the Middle east.
 
Only when AON is granted, approved by DAC & funds are released.. can't understand the reason for delay in approvals
TEDBF design hasn't passed CDR afaik. Also Swift, Ghatak, Mk1A extra order, Mk2, AMCA, SU 30MKI upgrade, LCH Prachand, ATAGS, drones, submarines, destroyers, missiles, etc. need funding too. Let's not forget the constant demand of MRFA. There's an imminent requirement for funding for several projects without enough budget. Have patience.
 
We should go for TEDBF as well as ORCA as maximum technologies goes into 4.5++, generation are common. TEDBF will be for our Naval requirement and ORCA for both our requirement as well as export market. As there is tremendous potential for a reliable 4 5++ generation aircraft for many countries which are dependent on Russia or China.Our GaN or GaAs ASEA radar, sensors Astra mk 1will make it a good package Hope India will negotiate with France for snecma m88 - 2 engine under licence production without strings attached. if not GE 414 as it will come with strings attached. I Sincerely feel we must explore the possiblity.
 
Is it possible to have licence production of sncema m88-2 engine for TEDBF now? so that even though we are paying littleymore there will be common maintence and spare parts with 36 rafel, 26 rafel M and future significant number of TEDBF's as we may have to retire mig 29K in near future.More over there will be no strings attached like USA
 
TEDBF design hasn't passed CDR afaik. Also Swift, Ghatak, Mk1A extra order, Mk2, AMCA, SU 30MKI upgrade, LCH Prachand, ATAGS, drones, submarines, destroyers, missiles, etc. need funding too. Let's not forget the constant demand of MRFA. There's an imminent requirement for funding for several projects without enough budget. Have patience.
Many hurdles, though we are not competent to decide but I do feel we should have gone for snecma M 88-2 engine for TEDBF.
 
TEDBF AESA Radar will b GaN based unlike GaA of Rafale M, TEDBF with 70MN$ may find Export market after development Bharat will become few nation to have able to developed & inducted Naval variant of Fighter jet
Not many countries use fighter jet capable of operations from aircraft carriers. It won't have much export potential. For us even after spending huge money on R&D, it will turn out to be more cost effective than imports.
 
a variant of AL-51 could be used, talks are going on currently.
You don't have any idea hoelw modern-day fighter aircraft's are designed. At first engine is chosen. Then they design the superstructure. So, once the engine is selected, new fuselage is possible but will take years for redesigning. It's not everyone's cup of tea.
 
Adding few ++ won't make the fighter 5th generation. A fourth generation aircraft is a fourth generation aircraft.
I politely disagree on this. As having smaller RCS, GaN based radar and FCR, use of carbon composite for body with better avionics, EW suit, software digital radio, jamners and reduction of thermal signature by making engine air intake not visible from front makes it it is between 4th generation and 5th that is the reason I said 4.5++ generation. Which is an international norm.
 
You don't have any idea hoelw modern-day fighter aircraft's are designed. At first engine is chosen. Then they design the superstructure. So, once the engine is selected, new fuselage is possible but will take years for redesigning. It's not everyone's cup of tea.
TEDBF/ ORCA or AMCA are not designed yet, we are still hunting for a new engine.
 
The question is when the TEDBF will be ready. Defence planners do not expect to be formed before 2040. It would be super-ambitious to expect the first fighter designed and built in India to surpass existing deck based aircraft. If India can leapfrog the development process, it will be an epochal event! Fingers crossed!
 
I politely disagree on this. As having smaller RCS, GaN based radar and FCR, use of carbon composite for body with better avionics, EW suit, software digital radio, jamners and reduction of thermal signature by making engine air intake not visible from front makes it it is between 4th generation and 5th that is the reason I said 4.5++ generation. Which is an international norm.
It is anything but definitely not small RCS. The weapons are exposed & the plane is not small also as compared to tejas to say it has small RCS. LOL!
 
I'm pro indigenization. Many years of commentary will speak to that. But I still have my doubts about TEDBF. Even looking out to 2030, the number of carriers we have can only demand a small number of fighters + spares, and ORCA is even more imaginary than TEDBF and not sanctioned by the IAF at all. You have to amortize the cost of developing a bespoke new airframe, even if it's heavily based off technologies from Tejas and AMCA, over many airframes.

Were I to prioritize things, it would be getting Tejas MK2 and AMCA out on time and in a single large order production run so they can work out setting up production lines before then, no more small orders here and there. The smaller carrier fighter need can be dealt with via more Rafale's. It doesn't make sense until we need at least 100+, if not 150+ fighters of a class, and we just don't have that demand yet. As a much larger country in the 2040s and 2050s we can be looking at that, but TEDBF will be a dated airframe by then, or perhaps look at a naval AMCA.
 
Not many countries use fighter jet capable of operations from aircraft carriers. It won't have much export potential. For us even after spending huge money on R&D, it will turn out to be more cost effective than imports.
Many countries used F/A-18 Hornets, which was built for career operations. It was operated by Canada, Australia, Finland, Kuwait and Switzerland. And I suppose Australia, Kuwait are going for Super Hornets as well.
 
I politely disagree on this. As having smaller RCS, GaN based radar and FCR, use of carbon composite for body with better avionics, EW suit, software digital radio, jamners and reduction of thermal signature by making engine air intake not visible from front makes it it is between 4th generation and 5th that is the reason I said 4.5++ generation. Which is an international norm.
The main characteristics of any stealth aircraft is suppressed IR signals, extremely low Radar reflection and third is no emissions, not even radar. Or in otherword, extremely efficient passive sensors. I am not sure how DRDO is progressing in all three fronts. But, on field nothing is visible.
 
Too much time & money wasted on stuff secondary and not Primary like Kaveri further development and induction
 
70 million USD apiece? Whoever said that missed the fact that we are paying upwards of 80 million USD per Tejas Mk 1A, and that jet is considerably smaller and cheaper than the TEDBF. Sure, TEDBF will be cheaper than the Rafale M, but that number is just wrong.
 
TEDBF/ ORCA or AMCA are not designed yet, we are still hunting for a new engine.
Utter nonsense. AMCA has already cleared the CDR, which means the design is frozen. TEDBF is in the PDR stage, which means the design is being finalised as we speak.
 
The original design was beautiful and turned heads. This evolved design of TEDBF looks very much like Rafale. I just don't like the whole idea of copying, especially when its an old design. The project director in one of the videos on youtube says that they had no intention of building a stealth TEDBF. Why? If they wanted to start from a clean sheet then why not go ahead and build a stealth variant of twin engine Tejas?
 
Utter nonsense. AMCA has already cleared the CDR, which means the design is frozen. TEDBF is in the PDR stage, which means the design is being finalised as we speak.
nothing nonsense, all stages are in paper only, Zigs hasn’t been made, so design changes are still possible
 
Now, the question is when will this ambitious project TEDBF materialise and take first flight as planned. Most importantly HAL and relevant agencies must walk the talk.
 

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