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| India's LCA Tejas fighter aircraft |
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| Pakistan's JF-17 |
Pakistan as a member of US led military pact CENTO and SEATO started receiving high tech weapons of that time with money to keep an eye on India and launch an assault when needed. Seeing this India began to import weapons from Soviet Union and starting upgrading its force. Both the countries started filling up their inventory at the same time and today both are facing the problems of their ageing fighters aircrafts.
India is in urgent need of replacing its ageing MiG 21 whereas Pakistan is in need of replacing its ageing Nanchang A-5 bombers, Chengdu F-7 interceptors and Mirage III/5 fighters.
India decided to start a project of making an indigenous fighter aircraft that can serve in all the purpose of the air force, whereas Pakistan joined later an already going on Chinese project of development of a fighter aircraft.
Both India and Pakistan claim their aircraft as indigenous, but as on April 13, 2011 none of the aircraft is 100% indigenous as India is using american GE engine to power the fighter and Pakistan is using almost all the technology from China and engine from Russia in their version of the fighter.
It is believed when India will complete its Kaveri engine project which was supposed to power LCA earlier, then LCA can be proudly claimed by Indians as an indigenous aircraft. India couldn't use indigenous engine in the prototype of LCA due to delay because technical difficulties in the development of the engine.
If India completes the engine, it will become the fifth country after US, UK, Russia and France who can make their own engine.
Today both LCA and JF-17 are reality and not on papers anymore. Tejas was inducted on 11 Jan, 2011 whereas JF-17 was inducted last year in Pakistani air force.
Both Indians and Pakistani have already started loving their new weapon, but in this new love they commit a mistake of comparing these two planes with each other. JF-17 will be Pakistan's main fighter accompanied by their upgraded F-16s, whereas LCA Tejas will be India's additional aircraft for medium role combat missions after Indo-Russian 5th generation fighter aircraft PAK-FA, Under development indigenous 5th Gen AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft), Indo Russian 4.5 Gen Su-30MKI and to be imported 126 4.5 Gen MRCA (Multi Role Combat Aircraft) that can be either MiG-35, F-18, Grippen, or EuroFighter Typhoon.
Comparison Comparison According to 2008 Aviation Source Book, Aviation Week & Space Technology, January 28, 2008 and DRDO TechFocus February 2011". DRDO. February 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
..................................................LCA vs JF-17 : Dimensional Comparison........................................
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| Length | 14m | 13.2m | |
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| Wingspan | 9.45m | 8.20m | |
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| Height | 4.77m | 4.40m | |
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| Wing Area | 24.4m2 | 38.4m2 |
.........................................LCA vs JF-17 : General Characteristics.....................................
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| Plane | JF-17 | LCA |
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| Empty Weight | 6,411 kg | 6560 kg |
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| Loaded Weight | 9,100kg | 10,500 kg |
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| Max. Take off Weight | 12,700 kg | 13,300 kg |
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| Powerplant | 1 × Klimov RD-93 or WS-13 turbofan | 1 × General Electric F404-GE-IN20 turbofan |
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| Dry Thrust | 49.4 Kn | 53.9 Kn |
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| Thrust with Afterburner | 84.4 Kn | 85 Kn |
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| G-limit | +8.5 g | 9 to (neg)3.5 g |
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| Internal Fuel Capacity | 2300 kg | 2458 kg |
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| External fuel capacity: | 3 external fuel drop tanks (1× under-fuselage 800 litres, 2× under-wing 800/1100 litres each) for extended range/loitering time | 2x1200 litre drop tank at inboard, 1x725 litre drop tank under fuselage. |
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| Crew | 1 | 1 |
...........................................................LCA vs JF-17 : Performance......................................
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| Plane | JF-17 | LCA |
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| Maximum speed | Mach 1.8 | Mach 1.8 |
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| Ferry range | 3,480 km | 3,000 km |
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| Service ceiling | 16,920 m | 15,250 m |
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| Thrust/weight | 0.95 | 1.07 |
