Tejas Mk2 Medium Weight Fighter: News & Discussion - 23 February 2019

[rajsunder]

How true is that the HAL/ADA wants to go with the regular route of Limited service Production aircraft instead of directly going to FOC?

Tejas Mk2 LS aircraft to be made, 24 Tejas Mk2 to be made every year

[drnayar]

3D render of Tejas Mk2 by Kuntal Biswas, @kuntal__biswas, Twitter

[Kakkaji]

How true is that the HAL/ADA wants to go with the regular route of Limited service Production aircraft instead of directly going to FOC?

Tejas Mk2 LS aircraft to be made, 24 Tejas Mk2 to be made every year

You will need the LSPs for testing, certification, and updates.

[Kartik]

How true is that the HAL/ADA wants to go with the regular route of Limited service Production aircraft instead of directly going to FOC?

Tejas Mk2 LS aircraft to be made, 24 Tejas Mk2 to be made every year

You will need the LSPs for testing, certification, and updates.

Not necessarily. The plan was to build 5 Tejas Mk2 prototypes. All of which would be built to the final serial production standard.

The Tejas LCA program was very different given the level of technological readiness that ADA, HAL, DRDO labs had at that time. Which is why the TD was needed to prove some critical technologies, followed by PVs. However, as the program progressed, the scope of testing required was understood and it could simply not be met by just the PV series since the TDs were essentially outdated, with older gen F-404-F2J3 engines that lacked FADEC for e.g.

Tejas Mk2 prototypes will see all avionics, radar, EW suite, engine, etc. at a very similar spec to what is envisioned for the serial production variants. There may be changes here or there as testing progresses but envelope expansion, testing various systems, etc. will be conducted on those 5 Tejas Mk2 prototypes. Expect at least 3000-4000 hours of testing to prove out the various systems. All of which could be handled by the 5 prototypes.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/Sukhwinder104/status/2006 ... 10513?s=20 ---> Hope to see it flying soon...

[uddu]

https://x.com/Kunal_Biswas707/status/20 ... 1797944563

Snaps from my personal collection: DRDO's infrared-based MAWS sensor—originally developed for the stealthy AMCA—is now on the Tejas Mk2! Massive design upgrade! First Tejas Mk2 prototype rollout expected by mid-2026.

[uddu]

https://x.com/i/status/2009444806146314463

@FighterPiloting
Wow!
LCA (Navy) Mk2

[uddu]

Tejas Mk2 will fly in July | Zorawar and Pralay will be Inducted soon

[uddu]

Big milestone for DRDO. Tejas Mk-2 to take first flight in June

A major development has emerged after the development of the indigenous fighter aircraft. DRDO has confirmed that the first flight of Tejas Mk-2 will take place in the middle of 2026. It is a great achievement as India makes foray into medium weight fighter systems. Tejas Mk-2 will be powered by the GE F414-INS6 engine, delivering 98 kilo-newtons of thrust — giving the jet greater agility, control and raw power. The Mk-2 will act as a bridge toward India’s future 5th-generation fighter programme, with a more advanced airframe that is expected to roll out in March. It’s also bigger, weighing 17.5 tonnes, compared to 13.5 tonnes of the Mk-1 and is designed to eventually replace the Mirage-2000, Jaguar and MiG-29 fleets. Right now, India has around 30 fighter squadrons, well short of the IAF’s sanctioned strength of 42. Pakistan, by comparison, has 25 squadrons.

[ritesh]

Big milestone for DRDO. Tejas Mk-2 to take first flight in June | ON POINT | News9

The sarcastic me wants to know which June, 2026? Or...

[Aditya_V]

We can be sarcastic, but there seems to be a whole ecosystem within India to Sabotage local production, this can't be without foreign controllers, they seem to be everywhere, this system has to be rooted out bit by bit.

No wonder 4 or 5 countries have been able to attain certain technologies, From RM, to production capabilities, design ,ordering the right thing at the right time. Things can be sabotaged in soo many ways.

We have think why was Tejas Mk2 F414 on the table in 2010 and paltry 20 for IOC 20 orders FOC, it was time to go all in with the F404 line still running, we could have had Tejas Mk1 in numbers before upgrading, but we wanted Refuelling probes, AESA radar before ordering in numbers.

We should not make this same mistake in future, induct in numbers established production facilities and then upgrade in future.

I am Happy they did not wait for Akash to become Akash NG before ordering it.

[uddu]

https://x.com/FighterPiloting/status/20 ... 8859098398
@FighterPiloting
Sirs! As far as I understand, ADA has no plans to roll out Mk-2. DG DRDO wants direct first flight this year, as roll out calls for stopping build-up activities & closing all panels etc of the prototype. But it might happen sometime as an incidental event, not a timed activity.

https://x.com/manojzxc/status/2014550072093208959
6/30)
This is the picture of Tejas MK2 in May/2025.
It looks like, 50% of MK2 is done. From there to rollout, how much time will it take? in conservative estimates not less than 6 months. But HAL chief had shifter the timeline to "1st quarter of 2026-27"

[uddu]

Tejas Mk2 Already Rolled Out? | A big Surprise | हिंदी में

[Cain Marko]

We have think why was Tejas Mk2 F414 on the table in 2010 and paltry 20 for IOC 20 orders FOC, it was time to go all in with the F404 line still running, we could have had Tejas Mk1 in numbers before upgrading, but we wanted Refuelling probes, AESA radar before ordering in numbers..

This is it. Just when there seems to be a breakthrough one stakeholder or another will muck it up either with a list of weaknesses or pie in sky type promises.

[Aditya_V]

I think that is where the MK1A 83+97 orders coming, suppliers and capacity is paid for, and everything is being productionised, if things start going with Local Engine and other aspects like the new Airframe etc, post 2028 some these orders will be converted from MK1A to MK2.

This is something which should have been done with Mass orders in 2008-10 itself when the Tejas Mk1 Airframe was mature enough.

[uddu]

I think that is where the MK1A 83+97 orders coming, suppliers and capacity is paid for, and everything is being productionised, if things start going with Local Engine and other aspects like the new Airframe etc, post 2028 some these orders will be converted from MK1A to MK2.

This is something which should have been done with Mass orders in 2008-10 itself when the Tejas Mk1 Airframe was mature enough.

MK1A should not be touched. It is done with. No need to reopen and further destroy one of the successful indigenous effort. Work should progress on Kaveri engine to succeed and replace the F404 in service. The more number of MK1A in service, the better for Kaveri. Only the Number for MK2 increased.

[Prem Kumar]

Kaveri (to replace GE-404 for Tejas) must be pursued because

1) 1000+ engines will be required for the Tejas fleet over its lifespan
2) Remove dependency on GE
3) Even if #2 doesn't happen, the fact that we *could* replace GE-404 with Kaveri will make them bend over backwards to ensure continuity of supplies & spares. Will make us sanction/pressure proof
4) Will give us invaluable experience in uprating for AMCA. In fact, Kaveri derivative to replace 414 must also be initiated

Killing Kaveri because GE-404 is *proven* is suicidal. The only thing that is proven is our vulnerability to sanctions!