Analysis With Stealth Design, Astra Mk2 and AESA Radar, Tejas Mk1A Poised to Outshine Mirage-2000 and Su-30MKI in IAF's Combat Arsenal

India's domestically developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A is emerging as a highly advanced asset for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Equipped with stealth characteristics, a state-of-the-art radar system, and long-range missiles, the aircraft is positioned to offer a significant tactical advantage over established fighters in the IAF's fleet, such as the French Mirage-2000 and the Russian-made Su-30MKI, particularly in beyond-visual-range combat.

The Tejas Mk1A is engineered around a core principle of modern aerial warfare: "see first, shoot first." This strategy is enabled by its combination of a low radar signature, a powerful Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, and the formidable Astra Mk2 air-to-air missile.

This blend of technologies allows the Tejas Mk1A to detect and engage enemy aircraft from a distance, long before it can be detected itself, reshaping India's air superiority doctrine against regional challenges.

A New Generation of Indian Air Power​

Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the Tejas Mk1A is a 4.5-generation multi-role combat aircraft.

It represents a major leap over the initial Mk1 version, with the IAF having placed an order for 83 of these upgraded jets. Its superiority in specific scenarios stems from four critical areas: its stealth profile, advanced radar, long-range weaponry, and integrated electronic defence systems.

The Advantage of a Smaller Radar Footprint​

A crucial feature of the Tejas Mk1A is its exceptionally low Radar Cross-Section (RCS), which measures how visible an aircraft is to enemy radar.

With an estimated frontal RCS between 0.1 and 0.5 square metres, it is significantly stealthier than both the Mirage-2000 (approx. 1–2 m²) and the much larger Su-30MKI (estimated at 10–20 m²).

This low visibility is achieved through several design features:

• Compact Airframe: The Tejas’s small, delta-wing design naturally presents a smaller target for radar waves.
• Advanced Materials: Nearly 45% of the aircraft’s surface is made of composite materials that absorb radar energy instead of reflecting it.
• Aerodynamic Shaping: The aircraft's smooth fuselage and aligned edges are designed to deflect radar waves away from their source, making detection difficult.

This inherent stealth allows the Tejas Mk1A to operate more freely in contested airspace, making it harder for adversaries to track and target.

Superior Vision with AESA Radar Technology​

The Tejas Mk1A is being fitted with an advanced AESA radar, initially the Israeli EL/M-2052, which will be followed by the indigenous Uttam AESA radar from the 41st aircraft onwards.

Developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Uttam radar provides a decisive advantage in situational awareness.

Unlike the mechanically scanned radars of the Mirage-2000 (RDY-2) and Su-30MKI (N011M Bars), the Uttam AESA can:

• Track Multiple Targets: It can simultaneously track up to 50 targets and engage several at once.
• Detect from a Longer Range: It can detect modern fighter aircraft from distances exceeding 200 km.
• Resist Jamming: AESA technology is highly resistant to enemy electronic countermeasures, ensuring operational reliability.

This capability to "see" further and more clearly than its counterparts gives the Tejas Mk1A pilot a critical information advantage in combat.

Long-Range Strike with the Astra Missile​

The integration of the indigenous Astra Mk2 Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) completes the Tejas Mk1A's "shoot first" capability.

With a reported range of over 160 km, the Astra Mk2 significantly outranges the Mirage-2000's MICA missile (80–100 km) and offers a competitive edge against the Su-30MKI's R-77 missiles (110–150 km).

Developed by DRDO, the Astra missile travels at a speed of Mach 4.5 and uses sophisticated guidance systems to ensure a high probability of hitting its target.

This combination of the Tejas's stealth, the AESA radar's long-range detection, and the Astra's extended reach allows the IAF to neutralize aerial threats from a safe distance.

Advanced Electronic Defence and Strategic Relevance​

To enhance its survival in hostile environments, the Tejas Mk1A is equipped with a modern Unified Electronic Warfare (UEWS) suite. This system can detect and jam enemy radar and missile guidance systems, providing a robust layer of self-protection.

This integrated and modern system is considered more advanced than the systems on the older Mirage-2000 and more compact than those on the Su-30MKI.

This combination of capabilities makes the Tejas Mk1A particularly well-suited to counter emerging regional threats, such as low-flying cruise missiles like Pakistan's Fatah series.

Its ability to look down with powerful radar and engage small, fast-moving targets is a key asset for national air defence.

Furthermore, by demonstrating cutting-edge indigenous military technology, the successful deployment of the Tejas Mk1A serves as a powerful counter to disinformation campaigns regarding India's operational readiness.

 

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[R. Singh]

R-73 and R-77 are bullshit it proved on 27.02.2019 air battle against AIM of PAF ! We need Meteor, Astra-II, Stormshadow for Tejas but we must power Tejas with 90-95 KN engine !

 

[Mc Addy]

Things look good if engines are coming in plenty.

 

[Shiva Shankar]

My little analysis after three years of research in this area.

LCA Tejas:
Less RCS detection, appears only when it's closer, and is good for dogfighting. It has an indigenous design (except for the engine), and it's easy to enhance its missile attachments and add new, longer-range weapon systems. However, the engine is not made in India, and GE engine delays are a concern. During critical war times, the prices for the engine and its components can be expected to spike, and delivery delays could defeat the actual purpose and help rivals.

Mirage 2000:
Larger in size with more RCS, but it has a heavy payload and is useful for long-range missions. France supplies the weapon systems, engine, and components; everything, including maintenance, depends on France. Cost overpricing during wartime is expected, just like with the US GE engine. It has a heavy maintenance cost and is a little more reliable than the US GE engines, but still not reliable enough for wartime.

Su-30MKI:
Higher RCS and easy to detect from a longer distance by rivals, but it has a heavy payload and is useful for longer-range missions. It's made in India, and it's easy to add new, higher-range missiles. Maintenance is done entirely in India, with the exception of a few subcomponents. An abundant supply of spare parts for the imported subcomponents has already been secured, so there are no maintenance issues.

Long-term prospects and suitability:
Heavy competition is ongoing between aircraft in the following areas:a. Reducing the RCS of the aircraft to be less detectable by radar.b. Increasing the radar capacity to observe longer distances and smaller RCS.c. Increasing missile range to attack from farther away.d. Reducing the risk of losing aircraft by working on unmanned platforms.

Overall, when observing the speed of competition in each field, all of these essentially depend on engine and fuel efficiency. Relatively, more work is being done on items (b), (c), and (d) at a faster pace than on item (a), which is progressing very slowly. This is because a little engine improvement paves the way for a speedy improvement in items (b), (c), and (d), but a higher improvement in engine performance is needed for item (a) to improve.

So, eventually, items (b), (c), and (d) will become more dominant than item (a). Despite that, effort is needed in all directions, no matter which one grows faster.

Eventually, research on item (a) will mostly become a technology demonstrator activity. Indigenous efforts on items (b), (c), and (d) are so fast that it will not take much time for India to have:

• The best radars in the world (including those of the US, Russia, France, and China).
• Hypersonic missiles that can be released from all existing Indian aircraft from a farther distance (even more than 1,500 meters).
• Unmanned/manned-unmanned/tethered/SWARM platforms that are improving at a faster pace.

So, overall, for Indian conditions, any positive reason for item (a) remains a theoretical, technology demonstrator-related activity that is not really useful for wartime needs. But items related to (b), (c), and (d) are used in real-time war.

Overall, the LCA Tejas MK1A will become just an example of a technology demonstrator, but it is easily adaptable to future research in items (b), (c), and (d), as long as Russian technology is not present, because Russia will object to its technology being used in any platform that contains major US components.

The Mirage 2000 is very difficult to adapt to new research in (b), (c), and (d), so in the long term, it is not viable for Indian needs.

The Su-30MKI has positives in all four areas: (a), (b), (c), and (d). However, if any progress happens with the LCA Tejas and if sufficient engine spare parts are available, its importance for missions will be reduced. During wartime, once the LCA Tejas loses an engine, it will no longer be usable, and at that time, the Su-30MKI will act as a robust, abundant alternative and safeguard. An improvement in missile range will reduce the impact of its negative factor (easy detectability).

There is a prediction that radars will improve so fast in the world that almost every missile and aircraft will be visible to everybody, but difficult to neutralize. So, the already existing abundant Su-30MKI, existing Indian infrastructure to produce hundreds of these aircraft, and its large size and heavy payload compared to the LCA Tejas will give it an edge for massive-scale war strategies.

These three are complementary to each other. The Mirage is for emergencies and fulfilling current needs, but in the future, it may not be needed.

 

[SandeepGupta]

In Tejas Mk 1 GE F 404 giving 152 KN instead of 85 KN stated thrust using two of my technologies. It can now give 550KN thrust using my another technology already given.

 

[SandeepGupta]

GE F 404 can give 2000 KN Thrust on my technology but engine will fail. Safest limit will be 900 KN for which Technologies have already handed over to India.

 

[SandeepGupta]

Say it is Super cruise 900KN thrust with my technologies have already handed over

 

[Radium]

GE F 404 can give 2000 KN Thrust on my technology but engine will fail. Safest limit will be 900 KN for which Technologies have already handed over to India.

The aircraft engine with the highest thrust is GE90-115B, with a thrust of 569KN. Sir, your technology far exceeds that of GE, and you are the pride of India.

 

[Foxbat]

R-73 and R-77 are bullshit it proved on 27.02.2019 air battle against AIM of PAF ! We need Meteor, Astra-II, Stormshadow for Tejas but we must power Tejas with 90-95 KN engine !

 

[Foxbat]

The people at GTRE and HAL should work harder to resolve the indigenous engines for Tejas Mk1A, Mk2, AMCA and TEDBF. Too much talking has brought us no where near to produce homegrown formidable fighter aircraft engines to power our indigenous fighters. By right the government appointed military contractors should have had embarked on a indigenous fighter engine at least in parallel with Tejas project but they didn't. On a separate note the Tejas project shouldn't have taken over 40 years to progress to next level to produce new variants. Sadly it is still plagued with various shortcomings. This has further delayed development in producing the numbers bcoz the project is moving in snail pace. The MoD officials are more favourable to indigenous Tejas over acquiring MRFA to fulfil the dwindling fighter squadrons in IAF but are they concerned to get involved in the slow progress of project. I am impressed with the advanced technologies incorporated into Tejas Mk1A but when will IAF have adequate numbers to compliment the stopgap which is of utmost importance.

 

[Raj009]

In this unstable political dynamics in India, defence project time line getts wider punch and progress on slow pace. Technically we are capable on world. Scenario, unless we have powerful engines tunes within India we cant achieve the desired speed, and supreme control be it sky, water and land.
Even Navy needs better long range birds on its deck, most of us have ignored as of now.
But the happy note is.... things are changing on good tone. Tejas series are just eye opener. There many other projects still growing, developing and evolving under cover, the details are classified here.
Thank for reading.

 

[Sun Beam]

The aircraft engine with the highest thrust is GE90-115B, with a thrust of 569KN. Sir, your technology far exceeds that of GE, and you are the pride of India.

900Kn & 2000Kn...... I am getting fainted.... Really..... So Tejas Mk-II & AMCA will use this engine.....

If this is reality, we can humble GE or even our Uncle Triumph sir...

From 85Kn to 900Kn & 2000Kn, remarkable achievement with super cruising technology....

So GTRE will end it's R&D even if it's going to be 200KN...... Kaveri with some 1180Kgs will be a super engine.....

I am not a research scientist & unable to calculate as what speed(Mach) our fighters will fly? Nearing Hypersonic speeds?
Someone can explain me as I am zero in this area......

But, good to hear about Tejas MK1A.....👋👋👍👍👌👌🌺🌺🏵️🏵️💜💜

 

[SandeepGupta]

I have actually given initial technology for Mach 14 to Mach 20 Super cruise technology for Engine. Later I give Mach 192 Missile tech to be used in missile and Mars Journey with 82 Tons including 4 Astronauts in 9 Days or 58 ton incld. 3 Astronauts in 3 Days. The technology has been handed over to my native Country India. Technology given to make ISRO Semi Cryogenic Engine 4.25 times thrust giver to help initial lift off Mars Vehicle with so much weight. Regarding Kaveri Engine 78 KN Dry to 140 KN Wet Thrust Core technology handed over along with material tech for afterburner which can further increase Dry/Wet Thrust to 250KN. Regarding My Single Crystal Blade feather weight turbine blade has already given in 2014 to 2015. Kaveri Engine can be made 800KN Dry Thrust maximum in my view.

 

[SandeepGupta]

Use of my Feather Weight Single Crystal Blade in GE F- 404 giving 143 KN Thrust. They replace older blade with new one. Also Using my Oxy Glow tech they are getting 60 KN Dry and 152 KN Wet Thrust at present. Check comments by Air Chief B.S. Dhanoa in gagan shakti excercise LCA match sukhoi bit by bit and there were blisters on engine as software problems were occurred then. India can use Russian Klimov RD33 Engine for 105 KN Dry and 180 KN wet thrust as tech for improvement already given. Alternatively 120 KN Dry and 190 KN Wet thrust Eurojet EJ 200 can be used with improved tech as given by me.