LCA Tejas to be at the centre stage of ‘India Pavilion’ at Aero India 2023

The full-scale LCA-Tejas aircraft in Final Operational Clearance (FOC) configuration will be at the center of the 'India Pavilion' at Aero India 2023, to be held from February 13 to 17 at the Yelahanka Air Station.

The 14th edition of the Air Show and Air Exhibition organized by the Ministry of Defense will have a separate 'India Pavilion' based on the theme 'Fixed Wing Platform' to showcase India's progress in fixed wing and future prospects in the field. , a defense report said Thursday.

The India pavilion will further showcase India's growth in fixed-wing platform ecosystem development, featuring demonstrations of various design modules, simulators and systems, including the LCA-Tejas aircraft produced by private partners. There will also be a 'Defence Space, Emerging Technologies' section and a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) section to provide an overview of India's growth in each sector.

The LCA Tejas is a single-engine, lightweight, highly maneuverable, multi-role supersonic fighter jet. It features a quadruple digital fly-by-wire flight control system (FCS) with associated advanced flight control laws. The delta wing aircraft is designed for "air combat" and "attack air support" with "reconnaissance" and "anti-ship" as its secondary roles. "Extensive use of advanced composites in the airframe provides a high strength-to-weight ratio, long life and low radar signatures," the report said.

The Tejas is equipped with state-of-the-art features such as glass cockpit, zero-zero ejection seat, in-flight refueling probe and anti-jam AESA radar, among others, which make the aircraft 'deadlier'. The LCA has come a long way in terms of development and is currently available in Air Force fighter and two-seat fighters and Navy LCA fighter and two-seat aircraft. Other variants like LCA LIFT (Lead in fighter trainer) and MK-2 are being developed for LCA Tejas.

Aero India provides a platform to various national and international aerospace and defense companies to showcase their advanced products and capabilities for exploring business opportunities, it said.