Exclusive first look: HAL's Tejas Mk2 prototype revealed, key upgrades and features unveiled

The upcoming Tejas Mk2 Light Combat Aircraft is set to give a significant boost to the Indian Air Force and the country's military might. It is going to be a major upgrade from its predecessor, Tejas Mk1, with state-of-the-art tech and equipment in the cockpit. 

Being developed by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a prototype of the fighter jet is on display at the Aeronautical Development Agency and India TV got an exclusive access to its cockpit to dwelve deep into all new features and control upgrades Tejas MK2 will offer.

Fewer buttons, touch-friendly interface

IAF's Wing Commander Siddharth explains that the aircraft will have fewer manual buttons and switches and has been upgraded to modern touch panels and a joystick for efficient control, keeping in mind a new generation of pilots and weapons. 

Since the current generation is more familiar with touch screens and joysticks, the interface in Tejas Mk2 has been upgraded for smoother operation of the fighter jet.

A screen called a large area display will depict the tactical situation to the pilot at their fingertips. Whether it is to select a target or navigate to a waypoint, all these can be easily performed by the pilot with just a touch, the Wing Commander said.

Ergonomic joysticks, fewer switches

Two new ergonomic joysticks have also been added in the cockpit of the fighter jet on the left and right sides for throttle and stick functions.

The positioning has been especially made to allow the pilot to access these joysticks without moving them too much, which is crucial in combat situations and cuts the reaction to a fraction of a second.  The cockpit has also been made devoid of several switches, and instead, those controls have either been shifted to the joysticks or the display screen.

"We do not want to make the pilot a controller. Their entire focus should be on dealing with and responding to the tactical situation rather than operating the systems, the wing commander said. Giving an example, he said there is no switch in the Tejas Mk2 fighter jet to switch on the radar and missile systems and these are turned on automatically by the software in the aircraft according to the situation. The pilot is then informed about it by the aircraft itself.

About Tejas Mk2 fighter jet

The HAL Tejas Mk2, also known as the medium-weight fighter, is an advanced 4.5-generation single-engine multirole combat aircraft being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is designed to replace the Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000, Jaguar, and MiG-29 fighters. The Mk2 is a significant upgrade over the Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A, featuring a longer fuselage, close-coupled canards for improved manoeuvrability, and a more powerful GE F414-INS6 engine producing 98 kN of thrust. This allows for higher payload capacity, extended range, and improved combat performance.