In A Major Milestone, Tejas Mk-1 Completes Seven Years In-Service With The IAF

The indigenously developed Tejas Mk-1 is set to complete seven years in-service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 1 July, completing a major milestone since its induction.

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program was started in the early 1980s, with the Government of India (GoI) establishing the project in 1983 to replace Mig-21 fighters.

The first prototype took its first flight in January 2001 and the fighter was named Tejas.

After more than a decade of trials, the first jet was finally inducted by the IAF in 2016 in the No. 45 squadron 'Flying Daggers'. In 2020, the No.18 squadron 'Flying Bullets' became the second squadron to start operating the jet.

Since than the jet has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of incident-free flying.

The Tejas Mk-1 is light supersonic multirole jet, capable of doing multiple missions including air-defence (air-to-air), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), air-interdiction (striking enemy targets deep into enemy territory) and maritime strike and reconnaissance missions.

The jet carries, an Israeli laser designating pod, multi-mode radar, helmet mounted display system and self-protection suite.

Its other variant — Tejas Mk-1A — 83 of which the IAF ordered from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in a deal worth Rs 48,000 crore in 2021, will be even more advanced.

Tejas Mk-1A will have 40 major improvements compared to the Tejas Mk-1.

It will have an active electronically-scanned array radar for detecting enemy aircraft at greater ranges and resistance to jamming, a new advanced self protection jamming suite (ASPJ), digital flying control computer (DFCC), as well as, faster turnaround times for each aircraft after every sortie.