India,s upcoming new fighter aircraft Tejas mk2

Tejas Mark II is likely to be rolled out next year. This will a more powerful version of the indigenous Tejas multi-role combat jet featuring a much powerful engine, greater load-carrying capability and next-generation electronic warfare system.

Tejas Mark II is likely to be rolled out next year. This will a more potent version of the indigenous Tejas multi-role combat jet featuring a much powerful engine, greater load-carrying capability and next-generation electronic warfare system. Its first high-speed trials will start in 2023, according to Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd R Madhavan. The structural package and related work, which will have an array of superior avionics, was progressing well, he said. The production of the high-performance jet is likely to start around 2025.

The aircraft is a potent platform for air combat and offensive air support with reconnaissance and anti-ship operations as its secondary roles. The Tejas Mk-1A will be equipped with an active electronically scanned array radar, beyond visual range missile, electronic warfare suite and air-to-air refuelling system.

Features of Tejas mk2

• Advance sensers and avionics  :-The avionics of Tejas Mark 2 will be centered on multi-sensor data fusion incorporating both active and passive sensors onboard. The Tejas Mark 2 would be equipped with a variant of Uttam AESA Radar developed by Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), while the combat aircraft will also have an integrated infrared search and track (IRST) system for passive target acquisition. The Tejas Mark 2 will have indigenous Software-defined radio based tactical data link for secured communication and network-centric warfare capabilities supported by IAF's AFNet digital information grid.
• Cockpit:-The Tejas Mark 2 will have a night vision goggles compatible glass cockpit dominated by a touch sensitive wide area display placed in panoramic orientation and a wide-angle holographic head-up display (HUD) system. The Tejas Mark 2 will have hands-on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) arrangement with right hand on stick and left hand on throttle settings to ease the pilot workload.
• Propulsion:-In 2008, HAL issued a fresh request for proposal for the procurement of 95-100 kilonewton (kN) (21,000–23,000 lbf) thrust class engine to power the Tejas Mark 2.In 2010, after extensive evaluation of both the Eurojet EJ200 and the General Electric F414, GE's F414 INS6 afterburning turbofan engine was declared as the lowest bidder. The deal covered the purchase of 99 GE F414 engines, with initial batch supplied directly by GE while the remainder to be manufactured in India by HAL under a technology transfer agreement.The GE F414 INS6 engine has a maximum thrust output of 98 kN and also offer improved specific fuel consumption over F404 IN20 engine selected to power both Mark 1 and Mark 1A variants of Tejas. The aircraft is designed keeping in mind that GE's F414 will be replaced once Indian powerplant is available. Therefore, the future engine replacement should make minimum changes in the configuration. There are plans to replace the GE F414 INS6 engine onboard Tejas Mk2 with DRDO and Rolls Royce jointly developed 110 kN thrust class engine for HAL AMCA
• "Tejas Mark II is likely to roll out by August-September of 2022 after that the first flight will take some time. The first high-speed trial of the jet will start in 2023 and we expect the production to start somewhere around 2025," Mr. Madhavan told PTI.