Why in News?

• LCA Tejas-Mk2 will be introduced in 2022, with the first flight scheduled for early 2023, according to the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will be introduced in 2024, with the first flight scheduled for 2025.
  • ADA is an autonomous body of the Ministry of Defence.

Features of LCA Mk2

• The aircraft features enhanced range and endurance including an onboard oxygen generation system, which is being integrated for the first time.
• Heavy weapons of the class of Scalp, Crystal Maze and Spice-2000 will also be integrated on the Mk2. 
• The LCA-Mk2 will be a heavier and much more capable aircraft than the current LCA variants.
• The Mk2 is 1,350 mm longer featuring canards and can carry a payload of 6,500 kg compared to 3,500 kg the LCA can carry.
• The Mk2 will be powered by a more powerful GE-414 engine.

About LCA- Tejas

• • The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) was founded by the Government of India to supervise the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in 1984.
  • It was designed to replace the Mig 21 fighter jets, which were getting old.
    • The Aeronautical Development Agency, which is part of the Department of Defence Research and Development, designed it.
    • Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, a government-owned company, produced the plane (HAL).
  • Tejas is India’s first light fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in the country. It’s a single-seat, single-engine supersonic multirole light fighter aircraft.
  • Tejas is a fourth-generation light combat aircraft (LCA). Its configuration is largely geared on mobility and agility.
  • To make handling easier, the plane has a computerised fly-by-wire flight control system. This allows the pilot to focus on other tasks (especially mission-critical tasks) without having to worry about the plane deviating from its flying route.
  • It can travel at a top speed of Mach 1.8
    • Mach is used as a unit of measurement in stating the speed of a moving object in relation to the speed of sound.
  • The aircraft has a range of 3,000 kilometres.
  • In its class, it is the lightest, smallest, multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft.
  • Designed to carry a variety of precision-guided air-to-air and air-to-surface weaponry.

• Capability for air-to-air refuelling.

Current scenario

• The Defence Ministry signed a ₹48,000-crore deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to supply 83 LCA-Mk1A to the Indian Air Force.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has one squadron of the LCA in initial operational clearance and deliveries of the second squadron in final operational clearance configuration are under way.

Stealth aircraft- Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

• AMCA will be a single-seat, twin-engine, stealth all-weather swing-role fighter aircraft. 
• The AMCA design is optimised for low radar cross section and supercruise capability.
• It would be a twin engine stealth aircraft with an internal weapons bay and a diverterless supersonic intake, which has been developed for the first time for which the design is complete.
• It will be a 25-tonne aircraft with internal carriage of 1,500 kg of payload and 5,500-kg external payload with 6,500 kg of internal fuel.
• The AMCA which is intended to perform a multitude of missions including air superiority, ground-strike, Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and electronic warfare (EW) missions would be a potent replacement for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI air superiority fighter, which forms the backbone of the IAF fighter fleet. 
• The AMCA will have stealth and non-stealth configuration and will be developed in two phases, AMCA Mk1 with existing GE414 engine and an AMCA Mk2 with an advanced, more powerful engine.
• There are two primary approaches to making a military platform more stealthy.
  • Geometric stealth: the aircraft’s form is angled in such a way that maximum radar waves are deflected away, reducing the radar cross-section.
  • Material stealth: The aircraft is made of radar-absorbing materials, which absorb radio waves and so reduce the radar footprint.

The AMCA will initially be based on geometric stealth, we can look at material stealth at a later stage

References:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lca-mk2-to-roll-out-next-year-first-flight-in-2023-says-scientist/article36419325.ece
2. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-building-new-fighter-jet/article24731939.ece