New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has given green signal for the development of LCA Mark 2 fighter jet on September 1, 2022. Aeronautical Development Agency chief Girish Devdhare said that the development project of LCA Mark 2 has been approved. It is a state-of-the-art 17.5 tonne single engine supersonic aircraft. Girish said that the first flight of this fighter jet is possible in the year 2024. However, it will take another five years to be fully developed and ready. Its full production will start from 2027. Getting the green light for this project means that the LCA Mk 1A program will also get a boost. It will also help develop the fifth generation advanced medium combat aircraft project.
Girish said that the prototype of the LCA Mark 2 fighter jet will be developed within a year. Its flight is also possible in a year or two. The development project will be completed by 2027. During this time we will complete its trials and other development works. The Indian government has said that the engine of this aircraft should also be made in India but after the completion of the preliminary project. DRDO will currently develop the GE-414 engine of the LCA Mark 2 fighter jet. This would be an advanced version of the GE-404s. This engine is currently powered by 83 LCA Mark 1A. The Mark 1A will be inducted into the Indian Air Force in the next two years. Currently, the Indian Air Force has 30 LCA Tejas aircraft. HAL is using two aircraft to develop the LCA-1A.
As for the LCA Mark 2 fighter jet, it can accommodate a crew of one or two. The length will be 47.11 feet. The wingspan will be 27.11 feet and the height will be 15.11 feet. The maximum takeoff weight will be 17,500 kg. It can fly with weapons weighing 6500 kg. The greatest strength of the LCA Mark 2 fighter jet will be its speed. It will fly at a maximum speed of 2385 kilometers per hour. That means it will compete with the speed of the world’s best fighter jets. Its total flight range is 2500 km while the combat range will be 1500 km. It can fly up to a maximum altitude of 56,758 feet. It will have 13 hard points which means 13 different types of weapons or combinations thereof can be applied.
The LCA Mark 2 fighter jet is planned to carry air-to-air MICA, ASRAM, Meteor, Astra, NG-CCM, air-to-surface BrahMos-NG ALCM, LRLACM, Storm Shadow, Crystal Maze. Apart from this, anti-radiation missile Rudram 1/2/3 will be installed. Apart from this, precision guided ammunition i.e. bombs will also be installed in it. These precision guided munitions include SPICE, HSLD-100/250/450/500, DRDO Glide Bomb, DRDO SAAW. Sudarshan bomb will be installed in a laser guided bomb. Apart from this cluster munitions, loitering munition cats alpha and unguided bombs can be installed.