Developing the Potential
To enhance the weapon-systems and operational capability of the TejasLCA, the IAF has planned to equip the LCA with advanced air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. Just before Aero India 2019, the LCA received its interim FOC certification and includes some advanced features, beingflight envelope expansion, improved AoA,mid-air refuelling, BVR capability, some air-to-surface weaponry, plus a more capable braking system.
Weaponry
Shown at Aero India 2019 : LCA mockup with Brahmos-NG, AAMs and Uttam AESA
TheIAF is considering equipping the LCA with more advanced weaponry including laser, guided bombs and short-range cruise missiles. In February 2019, DRDO also announced that the LCA would be fitted with the new BrahmosNG, a lighter version of Indo-Russian Brahmos supersonic cruise missile with a range of some 300km which is 50% lighter and some 3 metres shorter than the standard version.
Apart from this, the IAF has considered some additional indigenous options,including a number of smart air to surface munitions such as SAAW, HSLD bomb, 1000kg guided bombs and Sudarshan LGB, NGARM.
ARDEs 450 kg Sudarshan LGB
DRDO labs, essentially the ADE and IRDE, are developing the next-generation Sudarshanlaser-guided bomb (LGB) with improved rolling capability, accuracy and also enhanced glide-range with GPS. This new LGB will allow the LCA to hit targets more precisely at ranges of upto50km while the NG-LGB Sudardhanis claimed to be comparable, or possibly even better than the GBU-12 Paveway which has been in service with IAF’s Mirages and Jaguars for some time. The DRDO has also successfully developed an advanced Laser Designator Pod to guide laser bombs such as the Israeli-origin Spice and Sudarshan LGB.
DRDO 1000 kg precision guided bomb
The ARDE is in process of developing a new family of HSLD bombs that can exploit higher supersonic carrying speeds and extensive flying envelopes of various fighters in IAF inventory. ARDE has successfully designed and developed 250kg, 450kg, and 500kg HSLD bombs; which are effective against ground targets including railway yards, bridges, bunkers, and other hardened targets. The ARDE has contoured these weapons with two different tail units according to different mission profiles including retarder tail unit (RTU) for high-speed, low-level bombing and ballistic tail unit (BTU) for high speed, high altitude bombing. The precision-guided version of the 450 kg and 500 kg HSLD are designed for carriage by the Su-30MKI and Tejas LCA. The 450 kg PGHSLD features a nose extension unit (NEU), a smart tail unit (STU), and fixed canard on the nose to elevate and stability. The guided weapon also incorporates a semi-active laser seeker, a fibre-optic gyro (FOG) based inertial navigation system, GPS module, a GPS antenna and anti-jamming GPS antenna for guidance and anti-jamming.
DRDO 500 kg precision-guided HSLD bomb
The DRDO had successfully tested the 500kg PGHSLD bomb at the Pokhran test-firing range in May 2019. The inertial guided bomb is a smart version of 500 kg GPB (general-purpose bomb), the PGB developed being similar to the Israeli Spice2000 which is in IAF service (and was reportedly employed in the strike at Balakot on 26 February 2019).
Furthermore, DRDO has developed and test-fired India's second air to surface missile NGARM, which can neutralise enemy radars 100km away, this 600 kg missile to be equipped with a PHH (passive homing head) for mid-course guidance, while a MMW active seeker will guide the missile during the end-phase. NGARM could well be one of the most potent anti-radiation missiles in the world, adding further teeth to the LCA as well other existing IAF platforms.
Other air-to-surface weapons which can be integrated on LCA in the future are the RudraMk.II and ALCM Nirbhaya cruise missile although these projects are at the initial development phase.
DRDL’s anti-radiation missile the NGARM
Besides improving the LCA’s air-to-ground attack capability, the IAF is also working to enhance the type’s air-to-air prowess and is in process of acquiring new CCMs and BVRs for its Tejas fleet. Currently the Russian R-73 and Rafael Derby are integrated on the LCA Mk.I and the IAF is considering the MBDA ASRAAM andpossibly the Russian RVV-MD for close combat. At theplanning stage is the indigenous Astra BVR, Israeli I-Derby ER and,subject to the considerable clearances, the MBDA Meteor for extended range air combat. While the ASRAAM and I-Derby ER could well get clearance the Meteor looks rather doubtful as of now. Apart from integration of foreign AAMs, the indigenous Astra is planned to enter service with IAF’s Su-30MKIs and the Tejas as well. The DRDO is also testing an SFDR (solid-fuel-ducted-ramjet) based propulsion technology for long-range surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles but this technology could still take 8-10 years to mature and could be in time for the LCA Mk.II (MWF) and AMCA.
Radar & Avionics
Apart from the weaponry the IAF and HAL are in discussion for advancing the Tejas’s avionics and subsystems including integration of more capable, longer-range AESA radar, an electronic warfare suite, an upgraded large SMFD with advanced graphics generator and high processor, a new improved canopy, satellite navigation system, advanced software upgrade for more modern systems integration, more composites use accessibility for easy and low- maintenance, as also provision for hot refueling, all these features to be incorporated in the LCA Mk.1A.
HAL has already selected Elta’s EL/M 2052 AESA radar through a competitive bid, the radar to be manufactured by HAL through ToT. The fully solid-state active phased array radar will enable a longer detection range, a multi-target tracking capability of up to 64 targets, and high mission reliability; the radar also features an improved air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-to-sea detection and operation modes with superior anti-jamming capability owing to its advanced AESA technology.
Transparent radome, giving clear view of the AESA radar in the LCA
At Aero India 2019, DRDO had unveiled a model of the LCA equipped with LRDE’s Uttam AESA radar. A contract for developing new advanced EW systems worth Rs 177.43 crore has been awarded to another Israeli company (Elisra) by HAL after the indigenous unified EW system failed to fit inside the LCA airframe.
The EW systems will consist of a new-generation digital RWR, missile approach warning, a laser warning receiver, an ECM suite, state of the art CMDS and a self-protection jammer pod. This EW suite will enhance combat survivability of the LCA and besides the weapons package, such integration further enhancing capabilities of the LCA. These new weapons and avionics packages, will assuredly boost the combat plus defence capabilities of the Tejas and help fulfill IAF expectations.
In IAF planning, the Tejas Mk.1A and Mk.II (MWF) are to meet its single-engine fighter requirement for upto 300 numbers and surely this will spur the DRDO to achieve success within the timeline specified. Future integration packages may also invigorate export potential of this 4+ generation indigenous fighter and enable HAL to establish itself as a major player in the global aerospace and defence market.
Atul Kumar