SOURCE: AFI
The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), in its recent annual report, has highlighted a significant milestone in the development of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 2. The report confirms that NAL has successfully completed the structural design and analysis of the radome composite structure and associated parts for the Mk 2’s Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, achieving a successful Critical Design Review (CDR).
A radome is a protective, aerodynamic cover that shields radar equipment from environmental factors while allowing radar waves to pass through with minimal distortion. For an AESA radar system, the radome must not only withstand high-stress flight conditions but also ensure minimal electromagnetic interference, which is crucial for radar accuracy and effectiveness.
For the LCA Tejas Mk 2, the AESA radar is central to the aircraft’s enhanced capabilities, including improved tracking, targeting, and situational awareness. The successful structural design and analysis of the radome composite by NAL ensures that the radar system will operate optimally, enhancing the Tejas Mk 2’s role as a next-generation multirole fighter.
The radome’s composite structure, developed by NAL, strikes a fine balance between strength, weight reduction, and radar transparency. The structural design involves advanced composite materials capable of withstanding high temperatures and pressure while offering the rigidity needed to maintain the radar’s accuracy during supersonic speeds and high-G maneuvers.
NAL’s structural analysis validates the radome’s durability across a range of environmental and operational conditions, from high-altitude, high-speed flight to rapid deceleration and adverse weather. This analysis is essential to ensuring that the radome will maintain its integrity and protect the radar from environmental stressors without compromising the radar’s range or performance.
The completion of the Critical Design Review is a pivotal step in the development of the LCA Tejas Mk 2. The CDR is an in-depth evaluation process that validates the design, ensuring that it meets all specified requirements and is ready for production and integration. NAL’s success in passing the CDR with the radome composite structure demonstrates the organization’s ability to meet stringent performance and reliability standards, positioning the Mk 2 for subsequent stages in testing and eventual production.
The Tejas Mk 2’s AESA radar system, equipped with NAL’s radome composite structure, is expected to offer enhanced multi-target tracking and long-range detection capabilities, which are critical in modern air combat. The AESA radar will significantly increase the Tejas Mk 2’s operational flexibility, allowing it to excel in complex, high-threat environments.