Source : Indian Defence Updates (IDU)
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| An Artistic CGI of Tejas Mk2 by Artist Kuntal Biswas |
We had reported recently that the Indian Air Force has committed to procure 6 squadrons of Tejas Mk2 (106 jets) fighter jets and the Air Force will procure 4 (72 jets) additional squadrons of Tejas Mk2 at a later stage.
The initial 106 Tejas Mk2 fleet will be powered by American F-414 engines but the additional batch of 72 units will be powered by a new indigenous engine generating 110 kilonewton of thrust.
India will soon sign an agreement to develop a 110 kilonewton engine with a foreign partner for the AMCA Mk2 program from which a new engine derivative will be developed for the Tejas Mk2.
An advanced Airborne Electronic Attack variant of the Tejas Mk2 might also be developed that will need additional power from the engine for which the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) will need to wait till 2035 before the new engine is ready.
Safran has quoted around $6 billion dollars to jointly develop the 110 kilonewton engine and after clearing all ground and flight trials the new engine will enter production by 2035.
