First test flight of Tejas fighter's Mark-2 variant likely in 2025

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, June 27

With a deal on the joint production of aero-engines being finalised between India and the US, the first test flight of the Tejas Mark-2, an upgraded variant of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft, is expected to take place in 2025.

“The sanction of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has been received. The first prototype would roll out in about 18 months. The first flight could be conducted in about six months after the rollout,” Prabhulla Chandran, Technology Director (Avionics and Weapons Systems) at the Aeronautical Development Agency, told The Tribune here today. The ADA, which functions under the Department of Defence Research and Development, was scouting for engines of Tejas Mk-2 globally, and among the other options being considered were sourcing these from France and the UK.

Initial projections are that about 200 Mk-2 variants, classified as a 4.5 generation, single-engined medium weight fighter, would be manufactured for the IAF, which could equip 10 to 12 squadrons. The Mk-2 variant also has significant stealth capability. “In the case of the aircraft, stealth features are not the driving point in the development process, rather the focus is on operational capability and combat potential,” Chandran said.

The Mk-2 has a totally different design profile with higher indigenous content as compared to the Mk-1 variant that was already in IAF service, according to Chandran.