The Tejas single-seat, single-engine, lightweight, high-agility supersonic fighter aircraft has entered into service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) in July 2016.
As of June 2016, Tejas had flown more than 3,000 test flights up to speeds of Mach 1.4.
The aircraft’s design and development programme was led by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of the Indian Department of Defence, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as the prime industrial contractor.
Here are the top things about Tejas
1. Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Tejas is an Indian single-seat, single-jet engine, multi-role light fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency for the Indian Air Force and Navy.
2. HAL and ADA handed over the first two Tejas aircrafts to Indian Air Force on July 1, 2016.
3. The new jets will make up the ‘Flying Daggers’ 45, the name of the first squadron of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India’s ageing MiG-21 fighters.
4. Tejas has a pure double delta wing configuration (wing root leading edge sweep 50°, outer wing leading edge sweep 62.5° and trailing edge forward sweep 4°), with no tailplanes or canard and a single dorsal fin.
5. It integrates technologies such as relaxed static stability, fly-by-wire flight control system, multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics system, composite material structures, and a flat rated engine.
6. It is the smallest and lightest in its class of contemporary supersonic combat aircraft.
7. The Tejas is the second supersonic fighter developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after the HAL HF-24 Marut. As of 2016, the Tejas MK1 was in production for the Indian Air Force and the naval version was undergoing flight tests for Indian Navy.
8. The projected requirement for IAF is 200 single-seat fighters and 20 twin-seat trainers, while the IN expects to operate 40 single-seat fighters.
9. Initially being stationed at Bangalore, the first squadron will be placed at its home base at Sulur, Tamil Nadu.
10. Saturday (Oct 8) is the first public appearance of Tejas in Hindon Air Show, organised on the occasion of 84th foundation day of Indian Air Force.
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