Cabinet Committee On Security Approves Tejas 2.0, Will Boost Air Force Fire Power

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Friday approved the project to develop the LCA Mark 2 multirole fighter jet, a more capable and powerful version of the indigenous aircraft.

This fighter jet will be developed at a cost of over Rs 6,500 crore, in addition to the Rs 2,500 crore sanctioned earlier for this. This will boost made in India and self-reliance further.

Tejas is a single-engine and high-speed multirole supersonic fighter aircraft manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Tejas Mark 2 is powered by a powerful GE 414 engine of 98-kilonewton thrust class, which is more capable than Tejas Mark 1.

The upgraded version of Tejas will have a longer range, better maintainability, higher load carrying capacity, stronger engine power, and a better net-centric warfare system.

The first high-speed trial of the Tejas 2.0 jet will begin in 2023, and production is expected to start around 2025.

The Tejas project will be followed by another mega project for the fifth generation Medium Light Deep Penetration Fighter which is estimated to cost around 40,000 crore.