Incorporation of new baby (Tejas), India’s first indigenous light Combat aircraft, by its mother (HAL & DRDO) to Indian Air Force is the moment for each Indian to feel proud of advancement in India’s technology and defense. Tejas, with few of its exceptionally commendable features, marks the new level of IAF and HAL.
Let’s have a look on all aspects and analyze the impact of this newlyborn baby.
Development of Tejas started in 1980s under the program Light Combat Aircraft withan aim to say good bye to ageing MiG-21 (!!IAF had lost over 100 pilots in 283 accidents from 1993 to 2003!!). After going through Final Operational Clearance, (!!Initial Operational Clearance was done in August 2013!!) it had been handed over to IAF on 16th Jan, by defense minister Mr. Parrikar. Tejas has certainly impacted many areas of India but few noticeableareas can be grouped as follows
1) Boost Indian Aerospace Industry
It’s a bitter truth that Indian aerospace industry has the bottom edge in the global arena, be it defense or civil aviation. The reason for lack of India in aircraft game is its isolation in this field. It has been a trend all over the globe in the past four decades that strategic technological alliances are necessary for this type of technologically-difficult and capital- intensive area of human activity. (!! Although it is believed that aircraft had first been flown by an Indian, Dr. Talpade, 7 years before Wright Brothers!!)
Now building an aircraft indigenously (!!Although 66%!!), will surely act as a booster to the Indian aerospace industry. This can also be assumed as an inception of the new era where these industries, HAL and DRDO can dream of prospering further and in turn competing with the global arena.(!! 30 years ago they couldn’t even dream of building 30% indigenous aircraft!!)
2) Birth of new technology in Indian Aerospace
Tejas, with it’s technologies such as relaxed stability (!!Characteristics of an Aircraft to change its attitude to be harmonious!!), fly-by-wire flight control system, multi mode radar and of course light weighted composite material structure, is an example of high level of technology applied. This art of manufacturing light combat aircraft with immense capabilities is a huge contribution of technology, since reduction in weight is the prime concern of an aero industry. Those are the birth of newer technologies to the Indian aerospace amidst the birth of this 4.5th generation fighter plane. (!! IAF has Sukhoi-30 MKI,a 5th Gen & rest 4th Gen!!)
3)Make Indian Armed force self-reliance
Talking of making India self-reliance in aero industry at this point may seem silly but I believe on the proverb, ‘A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step’. If eminent organizations like HAL & DRDO keeps on working and advancing like this then days are not far when IAF will have bunches of indigenously built defense equipment. Moreover, PM Mr. Modi is extremely focusing on ‘Make in India’, hence a huge opportunity for these industries to boost and make India self-reliance in aero industry. (!!Deals with Russian president, Putin to support manufacturing of Indian defense equipment in India isanother booster!!). Being self-reliance in defense is the most important target that a country strive for, to achieve its foreign policy and strategic vision, and Tejas is a step towards that. Hence it will reduce huge dependence on France for their 126 Dassault Rafale fighter jets, Russia for Sukhoi or on any other country.
4) Boost Indian Defense
Tejas with its supersonic speed (!! Greater than speed of sound!!), no tailplanes, delta wing, GE engine and multi-role fighter is going to add feather to the cap of fighter planes of IAF and consequently Indian defense. These features will enable the aircraft to achieve high maneuverability(!!Tejas can do twice of what Mirage-2000H couldn’t do in a situation like Kargil war!!). The supersonic speed is also going to provide a stringent defense system. As envisaged HAL will produce 6 aircraft in 2015-16, then scale it to 8 and subsequently 16 aircraft per year. This continuous addition of fighter plane will have huge incremental affect on Indian defense. It is the common saying that if you boost your roof, you are safe to live and this story of Tejas is similar as boosting the roof of India.
Tejas is the most suitable example of progress of India in its defense sector. Tejas has led the foundation, which has the huge and noticeable impact. Let us hope for the best and more indigenous technologies to come to Indian defense. Hence, this foundation of Tejas will one day lead to the presence of even indigenously built stealth and 6th generation aircraft in Indian defense.
