Three New Fighter Jets:
According to the Ministry of Defence, three new fighter jets will be flying by 2026, of which two will be for the Air Force and one for the Navy.
- This includes a new LCA (the Mk-2 version) and AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) for the Air Force and the TEDBF (Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter) for the Navy.
- Earlier, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had cleared a deal worth Rs. 48,000 crore for the acquisition of 83 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (Mk-1A and Mk-1 versions) for the Indian Air Force.
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-2:
- It is a 4.5 generation aircraft that will be used by the Indian Air Force.
- It is a replacement for the Mirage 2000 class of aircraft.
- It has got a bigger engine and can carry 6.5 tonnes of payload.
- The technology is already developed in Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft):
- It is a fifth-generation aircraft. And will be used by the Indian Air Force.
- It is a stealth aircraft, i.e. designed for stealth and unlike the LCA, which is designed for maneuverability.
- It has a unique shape to achieve low radar cross-section and has got internal carriage of weapons.
- When the external weapons are removed, this aircraft has enough fuel and weapons inside to do a very capable operational role in stealth mode.
- It will have a range from over 1,000 km up to 3,000 km in different modes.
Twin-Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF):
- This fighter will be manufactured for the Navy.
- It will replace the Navy’s MiG-29K.
- It will be the first twin-engine aircraft project in India that too for dedicated carrier-based operations.
- It will operate from the INS Vikramaditya and the upcoming indigenous aircraft carrier.
