LCA Tejas Adds Fifth Generation Israeli Air-To-Air Missile Python-5 To Its Weapons Package With Successful Test

India’s indigenous fighter, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, has added fifth generation Python-5 air-to-air missile to its weapons package, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said earlier today.

“Tejas, India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, added the 5th generation Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) in its weapons capability yesterday, 27th April 2021,” the agency, which has developed the fighter, said.

According to the DRDO, the capability to fire Derby Beyond Visual Range air-to-air missile was also validated in the trials.

Both Python-5 and Derby missiles have been developed by Israeli defence company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Python-5 missile, its maker says, can be launched from “very short to beyond visual ranges with greater kill probability, excellent resistance to countermeasures, irrespective of evasive target maneuvers or deployment of countermeasures”.

The missile comes with a fifth-generation imaging seeker. It provides “full sphere launch capability” with lock-on-after-launch and excellent acquisition and targeting capabilities, developer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems says.