India’s Tejas Debuts Abroad, Right Next To Pak JF-17s

This is cool. Two Indian LCA Tejas light fighters landed at the Sakhir Air base in Bahrain earlier today for what is the indigenous fighter type’s first foray abroad (the jets flew Bengaluru-Jamnagar-Muscat-Sakhir). What’s cooler: the LCA’s share flightline space right next two Pakistan Air Force JF-17s, a type long seen as a rival to the Tejas at many levels. Comparisons span development, technology, capability, politics, how ‘indigenous’ each aircraft really is, and what each will really bring to hostile airspace.
The comparisons span from the obvious (the JF-17 is rolling rapidly off a production lines in Pakistan, while the Tejas, well, isn’t just yet), to the speculative (the JF-17 has sparked foreign interest, while the Tejas hasn’t). The Indian Air Force hasn’t been the Tejas’s best friend, but still believes it’s a far better plane than the almost entirely Chinese JF-17. Interestingly, Pakistan’s current Prime Minister, back in 2010, actually acknowledged that the Tejas was a superior aircraft.
You know the story. Either way, the Bahrain foray allows the delectable opportunity to revisit the Tejas-JF-17 tangle. Expect more this week.

3 thoughts on “India’s Tejas Debuts Abroad, Right Next To Pak JF-17s”

  1. Tejas 1A vs JF-17 Block II

    $28 million vs 28 million. No difference on cost.

    1.)Radar
    The Tejas has an ELTA EL/M-2052 Israeli radar which gives it a significant advantage over the JF-17.
    2.)Materials
    The Tejas is made of carbon fiber composites while the JF-17 is mostly aluminium. Aluminium reflects radar very well, so in addition to the superior AESA radar the Tejas will detect the JF-17 from further away because it has higher radar cross section.The two advantages are multiplicative, not additive. An AESA radar already gave the Tejas an advantage but carbon fiber multiplies that edge.

    The Tejas will be able to detect the JF-17 first, without being detected itself, and shoot it down. First look, first kill.

    3.)Combat payload
    The Tejas is also capable of carrying 640kg more useful load, which could be missiles, bombs or fuel extending range. 3240kg vs 2600kg. 4 Tejas are
    capable of doing the same amount of damage as 5 JF-17.

    In summary, due to being made of carbon fiber, an AESA radar and capable of carrying more useful weight into a war, the Tejas significantly outclasses
    the JF-17.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HAL_Tejas
    http://www.tejas.gov.in/ADA-Tejas%20Brochure-2015.pdf

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Scroll to Top