New Delhi: In a significant development towards Tejas Mk1A programme, the Digital Fly by Wire Flight Control Computer (DFCC) was integrated in prototype LSP7 and successfully flown on February 19, 2024. The indigenously developed digital fly-by-wire flight control computer has been indigenously developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru for the Tejas – Mk1A.
Digital Fly by Wire Flight Control Computer features Quadraplex Power PC based Processor, high speed autonomous state machine based I/O controller, enhanced computational throughput and complex on-board software complied to DO178C level- A safety requirements. All critical parameters and performance of the flight controls were found satisfactory. The maiden flight was piloted by Wing Commander Siddarth Singh KMJ (Retd) of the National Flight Test Centre.
Aeronautical Development Agency, under the aegis of Department of Defence R&D and Ministry of Defence has successfully type certified Tejas-Light Combat aircraft (LCA). Indian Air Force has already operationalised Tejas LCA Mk1. The improved version of the aircraft, Tejas MK1A features advanced mission computer, high performance Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC Mk1A), Smart Multi-Function Displays (SMFD), Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Advanced Self-protection Jammer, Electronic Warfare Suit etc.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh complimented joint teams from DRDO, IAF, ADA and industries involved in the development and successful flight test of this critical system for Tejas Mk1A and termed it as a major step towards aatmanirbharata with reduced count of special imports.
Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO congratulated the teams involved in the successful flight test which has boosted the confidence towards delivery of Tejas MK1A to IAF in a stipulated time frame.
Set to be the mainstay of the Indian Air Force, the home-grown Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. It has been designed to undertake air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles. It has already inducted nearly 40 Tejas of initial variants. In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for procurement of 83 Tejas MK-1A for the IAF. In November, the ministry accorded an initial approval to procure an additional batch of 97 Tejas jets for the IAF.
