HAL Tejas Mk 1A Vs Chengdu J-10C: Comparison of the lightweight fighters of India and China
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s Tejas Mark 1A and Chengdu Aviation Industry’s Jian 10C are leading light fighters in the global export market.
The Chinese J-10C is a small multirole fighter with a single engine that was made in China. It can fly in a wide range of weather conditions. The fierce nickname, “Vigorous Dragon,” was made for the People’s Liberation Air Force to use in strike and air-to-air combat (PLAAF).
The Indian LCA Tejas Mk 1A is a multirole 4.5-generation light fighter made in India. The jet is mostly a single-seater but comes in a version with two seats.
The LCA Tejas Mk 1A has many technical features, such as a relaxed statics ability, a fly-by-wire flight control system, a multi-mode radar, integrated digital avionics systems, and a flat-rated engine.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A is 43 feet and 4 inches long, while the J-10C is 51 feet and 7 inches long. The J-10C has 360 square feet of wing space, while the LCA Tejas Mk 1A has 413 square feet.
The J-10C weighs 8,850 kg when it is empty, while the LCA Tejas Mk1A weighs only 6,560 kg when it is empty. The Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) of the J-10C is 19,277 kg, while the MTOW of the LCA Tejas Mk1A is 13,500 kg.
Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, self-protection jammers, and the ASTRA Mk1 Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile are just some of the cutting-edge technologies found on the LCA Tejas Mk1A.
As a result, the Indian light fighter has an advantage over its rivals in BVR combat. The LCA Tejas Mk1A’s survivability has been upgraded with Pod Self-Protection Jammers, and Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA).
When intercepting at great distances, the J-10C uses its PL-15. With a range of 200 kilometers or more, the PL-15 is a dual-stage BVR air-to-air missile.
The weapon’s effectiveness against targets larger than a fighter is currently unknown. J-10C has a PL-10 missile that can travel 20 kilometers, making it useful for shorter ranges.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A is equipped with its own domestic Electronic Warfare (EW) suite, which includes a radar warning receiver, integrated self-protection jammer, chaff, and flare dispenser system, and BVR missile capabilities.
With the I Derby ER, an upgraded version of the Derby, the LCA Tejas Mk1A can travel up to 62 miles; the Python 5 can travel up to 20 kilometers. There are plans to arm it with Astra Missile Mk I, which has a range of 110 kilometers.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A has a combat range of 500 kilometers, while the J-10’s range is 900 kilometers. When used as a ferry, the combined range of both planes is 3,200 kilometers.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A has a service ceiling of 52500 ft, but the J-10C can fly up to 56000 ft. The J-10C has seven rigid attachments. Six are located beneath each wing, and one is located beneath the body. The Chinese fighter jet can carry 5600 kilograms of fuel and is equipped with a Gryazev-Shipunov GSh 23 gun.
The J-10C can carry a wide variety of weapons, from air-to-air missiles like the PL-8,10,12,15 to ground-to-air missiles like the KD-88 and YJ-91, and is armed with 90 mm unguided rocket pods.
The Vigorous Dragon can carry bombs weighing between 250 kilograms and 500 kilograms, whether laser-guided, satellite-guided, or unguided.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A uses a digital fly-by-wire system with four independent actuators and corresponding flight control laws. Super-advanced composites are used extensively in the airframe, resulting in a low radar signature, long fatigue life, and high strength-to-weight ratio.
The jet is also equipped with eight hardpoints and a 23mm Twin barrel GSh cannon. There is a hard point in the portside intake trunk, another under the fuselage, and another six under each set of wings.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A has the ability to carry payloads of up to 5,300 kilograms, has rocket pods that can hold anywhere from five to eight rockets, and can transport a variety of missiles including the R-73, I Derby, Python, ASRAAM Astra Mk 1, and R-77.
In addition to these precision-guided munition options, the fighter jet is equipped with Rudran-1 anti-radiation missiles, KH-35 and 59MK anti-ship missiles, SPICE, HSLD, DRDO glide bombs, LGBs, cluster munitions, and unguided bombs.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A is expected to cost $41 million, which is significantly higher than the estimated cost of the J-10C, which is $35 million.
