Tejas Engine also being Used by RMAF F/A-18D Hornet

04 September 2021

HAL Tejas (photo : Deccan Chronicle)

Hornet’s F404 Engines For Tejas

When looking at potential candidate for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Fighter Lead-In Trainer/Light Combat Aircraft (FLT/LCA), it is important that crucial factors such as after sales support, commonality between platform and maintenance are being given utmost emphasis.

Being one of the contender for the RMAF FLIT/LCA program, the HAL Tejas LCA fits most of the check boxes especially commonality between platform. Indian defence companies have been supporting the KNAAPO built Sukhoi Su-30MKM (NATO Reporting Name: Flanker) heavy Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) which was essentially a de”Isralised” variant of the HAL built Sukhoi Su-30MKI.

Most of the MKM avionics and electronic counter measures were either of Western European origin or Made in India. Interestingly enough, most of the avionics fitted in the Tejas LCA are also Made in India.

RMAF F/A-18D Hornet (photo : Vivek Manvi)

The Tejas is powered by General Electric F404 engine which is also being used to power the RMAF Boeing F/A-18D Mod 25X Hornet strike fighters. The Malaysian Hornets have been the back bone of the RMAF and such success is contributed and credited to among other things, the reliability of the F404 engines that powered the US made fighters.

Engine serviceability has been one of major issues that plagued the RMAF MiG-MAPO built Mikoyan Gurenvich Mig-29N/NUB (NATO Reporting Name: Fulcrum) supersonic interceptors which forced the Air Force to retire the 16 remaining aircraft beginning from 2010 until 2015. The Klimov engines spewed too many soot (black smoke) that prompted the nickname “Smokey Bandit” among the Malaysian pilots.

One Western observer even commented that he once thought the Malaysian Fulcrum was on fire when he saw the black smoke billowing from the fighter jet’s engines. Although they are cheap to procure, Klimov engine has been notoriously proven to be expensive to operate (as it guzzles lots of fuel) and maintain.

The Klimov engine is also powering Pakistani assembled PAC Kamra JF-17 Thunder light MRCA which, just like the Indian made Tejas, is also participating in the FLIT/LCA tender exercise.

(MFH)