Tejas Mark II to roll out next year; high-speed trials in 2023: HAL Chief Madhavan

New Delhi: A more potent version of the indigenous Tejas multi-role combat jet featuring a much powerful engine, greater load-carrying capability and next-generation electronic warfare system is expected to be rolled out next year and its first high-speed trials will start in 2023, according to Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd R Madhavan.

He said the structural package and related work on the Tejas Mark II, which will have an array of superior avionics, was progressing well, and the production of the high-performance jet is likely to start around 2025.

Madhavan said the upgraded version will have a bigger fuselage, longer range, better maintainability, greater load-carrying capability, much stronger engine power and superior net-centric warfare systems.

With an increase in range and payload capability, Madhavan said the new variant will be much superior to the Tejas Mark-IA, 73 of which are being procured by the Indian Air Force from the HAL under a Rs 48,000-crore deal that was approved by the government on January 13. "Tejas Mark II is likely to roll out by August-September of 2022. After that, the first flight will take some time. The first high-speed trial of the jet will start in 2023 and we expect the production to start somewhere around 2025," Madhavan said.