French missiles to boost India’s LCA Tejas power punch
Enhanced capabilities pave the way for indigenous fighter aircraft to deliver precision strikes with extended range and versatility.
Photo by Rishav
As the Indian Air Force (IAF) is gradually going through the phase of modernization by procuring new state-of-the-art aircraft like Rafale and equipment like the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, the service is also looking forward to enhancing the capabilities of indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. The aircraft is reportedly in the process of being integrated with AASM Hammer, a French-origin air-to-surface missile, which will significantly boost the strike capability of the platform due to long-range (standoff) and precision capabilities against a diverse range of ground targets, including bunkers, armored vehicles, and secured fortifications.
According to recent details shared in the annual report of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), key steps are already completed in an effort to successfully install the new weapon on fighter aircraft. The first was the ground jettison test and later followed by mid-air release from one of the testbed aircraft (LSP-07) on 31st March 2022. Both tests were crucial to certify Phase 1 of the integration process, halfway paving the way for fighter aircraft to take flight with live weapons one day.
The AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire or Modular Air-to-Ground Armament) “Hammer” is a family of all-weather air-to-surface weapons which comes with multiple variants and can be utilized as per the operator’s requirement. It can be deployed to strike targets within a range of 15-70 kilometers. These long-range capabilities of an air-to-surface bomb are called standoff and allow the manned fighter to release the weapon at a safe distance without exposing itself to enemy air defence radars, missiles, and interceptor aircraft. Among the variants available, one is laser homing, where it will require a laser pod emitting on the target. The other comes with Inertial Navigation System(INS), where the target data, including the location is pre-fed and only requires to be released at a distance after which the aircraft can return to base while the mission computer on board the missile will autonomously guide itself towards the target and strike precisely.
The AASHM Hammer has a successful combat record in conflict zones like Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria due to continuous efforts by French Air & Space Force and French Navy to cripple down the insurgency. This gives the “battle-tested” tag to the missile, which is crucial for making any weapon more trustworthy for any customer.
The AASM Hammer is already a standard weapon for Dassault Rafale F3R fighter aircraft inducted by the Indian Air Force in 2020. In 2021, it was revealed that New Delhi has placed a fresh order for the AASM Hammer missiles dedicated to the LCA Tejas weapon inventory.
LCA Tejas is an indigenously designed and developed fighter aircraft and currently serves in two squadrons of the Indian Air Force, the first being the No.45 “Flying Daggers” in 2016 and the second was the No.18 “Flying Bullets” in 2020. The aircraft took its maiden flight in 2001 but had gone a number of improvements before being inducted into the Indian Air Force. This was done to ensure that the final unit ready for operations would be safe and least vulnerable to various forms of error. This was also proved by the impressive that the platform (from the first flight year to the current year) has already flown for more than 20 years without any crash or major incident which would cause damage to the airframe. On the other hand, the rival aircraft, the Chinese JF-17 “Thunder” in service with Pakistan Air Force, which was introduced in 2003, has seen four crashes so far, all leading to the airframes getting written off (unrepairable/lost).
The IAF is also inching closer to acquiring a new upgraded variant of the LCA Tejas, referred to as Mark 1A. The new variant, planned to be delivered in late 2024, will feature a significant amount of technology and combat enhancements over the current serving variant, Mark 1. Two testbed aircraft (upgraded from Mk.1 to Mk.1A) are also undergoing flight tests to carry out necessary trials before commencing the production of serial aircraft. Further advanced iterations of the LCA family are also in development, including the Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT) variant and Mark 2, both having structural differences from the Mk.1 and Mk.1A, allowing better role-optimized flight characteristics. The success of Tejas is a sign of India’s continued efforts to become “Aatmanirbhar”(self-reliant) in the domain of defence, producing state-of-the-art products to fulfill the needs of the Indian Armed Forces.
-Rishav
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