LCA MARK 1A (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Science and Technology)

Context: Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) retired one of its three remaining squadrons of the ageing MiG-21 fighters, and officials aware of the matter have noted that these aircraft will gradually be replaced by the indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A.

LCA Mark 1A

• Indigenous 4+ Generation Fighter: The Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A is a cutting-edge 4+ generation fighter aircraft, proudly designed, developed, and manufactured in India.
• Superiority Over Previous Variants: The Tejas LCA Mk-1A surpasses its predecessors in avionics, performance, and weapons capabilities, making it a formidable addition to the Indian Air Force.
• Advanced Operational Capabilities: This aircraft boasts crucial operational features including an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile capability, Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite, and Air to Air Refuelling (AAR) capability.
• Various BVR Missiles: It is highly adaptable, allowing for seamless hardware and software integration to accommodate a variety of Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles available in the Indian Air Force's inventory.

MiG-21

• These aircraft are single-engine, single-seater multi-role fighter/ground attack planes.
• India has acquired more than 700 MiG-21 aircraft of various variants over the years, including the Type-77, Type-96, and the BIS.
• The most recent variant is the MiG-21 Bison, featuring upgrades like advanced missiles, radars, and improved avionics.
• Range: 1210 Km
• Speed: 2175 Km/h
• Combat Radius: 370 Km