HAL LCA TEJAS vs PAK JF-17 : WHICH ONE IS BEST FIGHTER JET? INDIA VS PAKISTAN

HAL TEJAS

HAL TEJAS is a single engine, delta wing, multi-role light fighter designed and Developed by the ADA { Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL { Hindustan Aeronautics Limited} for Indian Air force and Indian Navy. Tejas has a Tail less compound delta wing configuration with a single dorsal fin. LCA Tejas replace the ageing fleet of MIG 21 fighters. LCA Tejas is the smallest and lightest in its class. Till now 33 Tejas Mk1 built and delivered to IAF [ Indian Air force]. Tejas is powered by GE IN 20 Turbofan which India Imported from USA but India also developing its own Engine Kaveri. DRDO is in its final stages of development of kaveri. Due to lack of experience in this field India's Kaveri delayed several times.

PAC JF-17

PAC JF-17 is a lightweight, single engine, multi role combat aircraft. PAC JF-17 is jointly developed by PAC { Pakistan Aeronautical Complex} of Pakistan and CAC { Chengdu Aircraft Corporation} of China. JF-17 is designed to replace the ageing fleet of Pakistan Air force { A-5C, F-7P/PG, Mirage III, and Mirage V} Till now 130+ JF -17 built and delivered to PAF and other buyers like Myanmar and Nigeria.

VARIANTS and PER UNIT COST OF THE AIRCRAFT

HAL TEJAS

 1. TEJAS MK1  [Unit Cost : $ 23 million]

 2. TEJAS MK1 A [Unit Cost : $ 43 million]

PAC JF-17

 1. JF-17 Block 1 [ Unit Cost : $ 25 million]

 2. JF-17 Block 2 [ Unit Cost : $ 28 million, for Twin seater Unit Cost : $ 30 million]

 3. JF-17 Block 3 [ Unit Cost : $ 35-40 million].

WEAPONS

  HAL TEJAS

 1. MISSILES

     

• ASTRA      Astra is the First AIR TO AIR missile developed by INDIA endogenously. Astra                       is an BVR missiles developed by DRDO. Astra is developed to engage targets                             within a range of 110 km. Astra is integrated with SU-30 MKI, TEJAS, MIG-29.  
• DERBY     Derby is an Israeli medium range BVR missile with a range of 50 km.
• R-73          R-73 is a HEAT SEEKING missile developed by SOVIET UNION. R-73 is used                        to engage short range targets of 30 km. R-73 is widely used in different aircraft's.
• R-77          R-77 is an Russian Medium range Air to Air missile. R-77 is the counter part of                          American 120 AMRAAM missile. R-77 operational range is 80-100 km with mach                   4 speed.
• KH -59     KH-59 is an Russian guided Cruise missile. KH-59 is used by many countries like                     Russia, China , India, Algeria. KH-59 is a long range range missile, it has the                             capacity to engage targets with in a range of 200 km. It is used to Hit targets on                          ground. There variants of this missile which India use in its Tejas namely KH-59                        ME, KH-59L, KH-59T.
• Brahmos  India planning to develop a lighter variant of world's fastest cruise missile Brahmos                    to integrate that in Tejas Mk1 A and Tejas MK 2.
• KH-35     KH-35 is a subsonic cruise anti ship missile. KH-35 can engage targets with in a                        range of 130 km.
• KH 59MK   It is the naval variant of KH-59. KH-59MK will be used in Tejas naval variant. 

GUNS,  BOMBS

• GSH-23 Cannon  GSH cannon -23 is developed by Soviet Union. India Import this gun from                                 Russia.
• UNGUIDED BOMB
• SUDARSHAN LASER GUIDED BOMB    Developed by ADA India
• SPICE     Developed by Israel
• High Speed Low Drag Bomb
• DRDO Smart Anti-Airfield 
• DRDO Glide Bombs

PAC JF-17

MISSILES

• PL-5EII    PL-5EII is a short range with in visual range missile developed by CHINA.                                PL-5EII is able to engage its target with in range of maximum 18 km.
• PL-9C      PL-9C is a short range Air to Air missile with a capacity to engage its target with in                   a range of 22 km developed by china. PL-9C is the latest variant of PL-9 Missile                          series.
• AIM-9L/M    AIM-9 is a short range Air to Air missile developed by USA. AIM-9 missile has                        a operational range of 35 km. It is one the missile that are widely used in world.
• PL-8       PL-8 is yet another Chinese short range Air to Air missile with a operational range of                 20 km.
• PL-15     PL-15 is again another Chinese missile . PL-15 is a very long range Air to Air                            missile with the operational  range of 300+km.
• CAM-102  CAM-102 is an AIR to Surface missile.  
• MAR-1   MAR-1 is an Air to Surface Missile developed by Brazil. MAR-1 is able to hit its                       targets with in the range of 100 km with 90 killo warhead.
• RA'AD   RA'AD is the first missile in this list which is developed by Pakistan itself. RA'AD is                 currently under development stage. RA'AD is being developed by AWC in Pakistan.                   This missile is first tested in 2007 and the current status of this missile is unknown.                     AWC claim that this missile able to carry nuclear warhead and can head its target                      within range of 600 km.
• C-802Ak     C-802Ak is a Chinese anti ship missile with a operational range of 190 km.
• EXOCET    Exocet is a anti ship missile developed by France in 1973 with a operational range                     of 100-180 km.
• C-803         C-803 is yet another anti ship missile from china which is being used in JF-17.
• CM-400AKG   is again another anti ship missile from china which is being used in JF-17.

GUNS, BOMBS OF JF-17

• 23 mm GHS twin barrel cannon developed by USA.
• MK-82,8384  is a general purpose unguided bombs developed by USA and begin used By PAk in JF-17.
• MATRA DURANDAL    MATRA DURANDAL is a unguided bomb developed by France.
• ROCKEYE MK-20         ROCKEYE MK-20 is an unguided cluster bomb developed by USA  
• GBU-10,12,16   is a laser guided bomb developed by USA with a maximum firing range of                                 14.8km.
• LT-2                     LT-2 is a laser guided bomb developed by soviet union.
• H-2, H-4
• Takbir               Takbir bomb is a smart bomb developed by Pakistan itself. Takbir is a wing                                 glide bomb with a range of 100 km maximum.
• LS-6                  LS-6 is Glided guided bomb developed by China.

PERFORMANCE

Maximum Take-Off Weight:

Tejas : 13500 kg

JF-17 : 12474 kg

Maximum Engine Thrust :

Tejas : 89.8 kN

JF-17 : 85.3 kN

Ferry  Range 

Tejas : 3200 km with 2x external tank

JF-17 : 2500 km

Maximum Speed 

Tejas  : 2,226 km/h 

JF-17 :  1,980 km/h

In Performance Category Tejas is slightly ahead of JF-17 Because of better and trusted technology used in this smallest Aircraft. In Armament category Tejas also Ahead because India use best armaments from world wide and also developing its own missiles and bombs so that it need not to be dependent on other for supplies. But its not the same case with Pakistan because maximum missiles and bombs are imported from China and never tested in any war anywhere in the world. Chinese weapons are also not so reliable.

Design and Structure : Tejas is a delta wing tailless designed which makes it Aerodynamically unstable, its not a error but its intentionally made to have aerodynamically  unstable design to achieve better maneuverability with the help of "relaxed static stability". Tejas is intentionally designed on Tailless and delta wing design to be small and light weight. Delta wing design minimize the control surface and help to achieve high speed, better close combat and high performance. Designed to meet the current requirement of the modern Air force.

JF-17 air frame is Semi-monocoque structure constructed primarily of aluminium alloys and in some critical areas high strength steel and titanium used. While JF-17 is not that much aerodynamically unstable. The Mid-mounted are of cropped delta configuration.

Tejas take off distance is 460m where as JF-17 have 610 m which is longer than of the tejas it is because of better Aerodynamics Tejas which creates a better drag to lift off ratio.

Stealth Feature

Almost 90% of the surface of tejas is made up of carbon composited, these composites are very much less reflective than metals. which makes the Radio Cross Section of Tejas very less. LCA Tejas is very to spot visually in close combat due its small size. India's endogenously developed Radiation absorbent paint had proven the reduction of its signature on ground radars.

While JF-17 is metallic so in this category also Tejas win.

ON BOARD OXYGEN GENERATOR SYSTEM

Tejas has OBOGS which means unlimited oxygen supply but JF_17 have a oxygen tan with 3 hour of oxygen supply. which not limit the supply of oxygen to pilot but also increase the maintenance time for JF-17.

HARD POINTS

Tejas has 8 Hard-points while JF-17 have only 7.

RADARS AND SENSORS

TEJAS 

Tejas is also fitted with a night vision compatible glass cockpit with Martin Baker zero-zero ejection seats. Tejas's electronic warfare suite developed by ASIEO of Bangalore, which includes a radar warning receiver and jammer, laser warnner, Missile approach warnner, and Dispenser. Tejas is equipped with a quadruplex digital fire by wire flight control to ease pilot handling. Tejas is integrated with domestically developed head up display [HUD] by CSIO, two SSDU, and A get You Home panel providing the pilot with essential flight information in case of emergency. TEJAS's HUD, HMDS and HOTAS controls reduces the pilot workload and increase better weapon aiming and navigation. Tejas MK1 A  will be equipped with improved version of EL/M-2052 AESA RADAR being developed jointly by ELTA and HAL. Tejas also equipped with Infra-red search and track sensor which can detect the thermal energy emissions. Tejas also offer AIR refueling.

JF-17 

JF-17 thunder fighter is equipped with KLJ-7 mechanical scanning pulse Doppler radar which is developed by China's NRIET. JF-17 is also equipped different sensors from DAS, RWR, MAW, and HUD. DAS system will also be enhanced by integration of a self protection radar jamming pod externally  on one of the hard points. JF-17 also has Helmet mounted sight developed in LUOYANG, China. In 2017, Pakistan successfully integrate ASELPOD in JF-17. Some reports are saying that JF-17 block 3 will be equipped with AESA radar with an range of 170 km ability to track 16 targets at same time and able to engage with 4.

TEJAS compare to JF -17 has more domestic components because it is individually developed by ONE COUNTRY India. But JF-17 only around 45-50 % components are developed domestically and maximum Armaments avionics and engine are Chinese, India developing its own Engine Kaveri, Maximum Radars are developed domestically, Tejas has better many domestically developed Armaments. India also importing some of crucial components for Tejas from different nation from Russia. Israel to USA. JF-17 is developed as the front Aircraft for Pakistan Aircraft. NO DOUBT on PAPER Tejas is better than of its competitor JF-17. But Tejas is not battle proven where as JF-17 is used in small operation against terrorist in Pakistan but not used in war. INDIA developing a double engine Tejas with more range and TEJAS MK 2 will be developed as a front line fighter for Indian Air force.