HAL TEDBF. The HAL Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is a canard delta wing, twin-engine, carrier-based, multirole combat aircraft currently under development for the Indian Navy. The TEDBF is being designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), and will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The TEDBF is intended to perform a multitude of missions, including air supremacy, air interdiction, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD), anti-ship warfare (ASW) and electronic warfare (EW) missions. The TEDBF is expected to replace the Mikoyan MiG-29K onboard the  and the . 

The programme was officially announced in 2020, in response to the Indian Navy's dissatisfaction in operating a single-engine carrier-based fighter based on the HAL Tejas, and its eventual withdrawal from the naval LCA programme in 2016. A model of the aircraft was displayed at Aero India 2021. The first flight is expected to be in 2026, with production planned for 2031. 

The design's twin engines are expected to allow shorter take-offs from the Indian Navy’s Short Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) aircraft carriers. As a dedicated deck-based fighter, it will feature foldable wings for more compact storage. The TEDBF will predominantly be equipped with indigenous weapons systems.

Development

Naval LCA programme 

The naval LCA programme to develop a carrier-based fighter for the Indian Navy was launched in 2003. The ADA was entrusted with the task of designing and developing a new naval fighter based on the existing Tejas template. The programme was envisaged to be completed in two phases - in the first phase, two prototypes were to be built, based on the Tejas Mk. 1 design. In the second phase, two more prototypes were to be built based on the Tejas Mk. 2 design. The programme was jointly funded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy, with the latter funding 40% and 60% of the developmental cost of naval LCA Mk. 1 and Mk. 2, respectively. In 2009, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved the development of Mk. 2 variant of the naval LCA. The first naval prototype, a two-seater NP-1, was rolled out in 2010, and first flew on 27 April 2012. By 2015, another naval LCA prototype, a single seater NP-2, had joined the programme, and carried out first ski jump assisted take off from a shore-based test facility (SBTF) in Goa. In December 2016, the Indian Navy opted out of the programme completely, with the cited reason being that the naval variant was 'overweight', and issued a fresh RFI for the immediate procurement of 57 Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF). The stalled programme was revived once again in 2018, under the oversight of the then Minister of Defence, Nirmala Sitharaman. The flight tests were resumed with NP-1 and NP-2 for attaining technological maturity of the carrier based fighter. By early 2020, the naval LCA had successfully carried out night-time arrested landing at the Goa SBTF, and carrier landing and take off on the aircraft carrier .

TEDBF programme 
In April 2020, the ADA announced work on a new naval fighter based on the Indian Navy's MRCBF 2016 requirement to replace the existing fleet of Mikoyan MiG-29K carrier-based fighters. The new naval fighter unveiled at the Aero India airshow 2021 turned out to be of a twin engine, medium weight class fighter, now called Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF). The experience gained in the Naval LCA (N-LCA) programme is expected to help in the development of the TEDBF.

The Government of India approved the TEDBF project in mid-2020. The aircraft will have canards to increase the lifting surface area, and will employ two General Electric F414 engines. The first flight is expected in 2026. According to Project Director TV Vinod Kumar, the estimated cost of four prototypes will be ₹14,000 crore. ADA is looking for joint development with Indian private sector. Indian Navy is planning the induction from 2032 when Mikoyan MiG-29K will start retiring. Upon the entry into service of the proposed , TEDBF will be modified for Catapult Assisted Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) operations. As an interim measure, Navy will procure Rafale M or Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet until TEDBF is ready. Due to the TEDBF project, the Indian Navy reduced their orders for foreign fighters from 570     

A proposed air force variant of the TEDBF design, called the Omni-Role Combat Aircraft (ORCA) weighing around 23 tonnes is also under study. The Indian Air Force is expected to need more than 7500 aircraft between 2030 and 2050. ORCA, if funded, would be developed in parallel to the HAL AMCA. ADA will submit Preliminary Design Review on Q2 2023. The prototype will take 1,000 flights during test phase. TEDBF is undergoing wind-tunnel testing. DRDO is conducting high speed modelling to test the supersonic characteristics using internal funds.

As of December 2024, the programme has received clearances from all relevant ministries and is being studied by National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). The Navy had initially proposed for 145 TEDBFs based on the requirements of a three carrier force. However, defence planners have asked the Navy to keep the requirements based on a two carrier force as of now. Hence, the numbers have been temporarily reduced to 87 units. Meanwhile, the Navy and ADA are working to complete the first flight by 2028. They are working on three prototypes and the development funds are being sought from that earmarked for Tejas Navy programme. The Navy has proposed 14 upgrades to the existing design including automatic landing and take-off features that Tejas Navy lacks. Of these 4 upgrades has been tested on Tejas N. By the time initial quantity of purchase and design is being finalised, Navy-ADA have teamed up to prove the required technologies which will eventually reduce the development cycle time for the TEDBF.

Specifications

See also

References

Indian military aircraft procurement programs
Proposed aircraft of India
Twinjets
Carrier-based aircraft
Fourth-generation jet fighters
Proposed military aircraft
Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear
Canard aircraft
Delta-wing aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
TEDBF