Horizon Defence

Understanding the Tejas Program: Debunking Misconceptions and Explaining Shortcomings The Tejas program has often faced unfair criticism and unwarranted labeling as a failure without proper understanding of the project and the aircraft itself. While it is true that the Tejas program encountered challenges and has some shortcomings, it should not be considered a failure by any means. In this article, I aim to debunk some of the perceived problems and provide explanations for its genuine shortcomings.     Section 1: Long Development Cycle of the Tejas Program. One thing people often forget while discussing the Tejas program is that it was not solely focused on developing a fighter jet, it was much more than that and aimed at establishing a comprehensive aerospace ecosystem in India. The program oversaw the creation of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and the development of many critical subsystems such as the Multi-Mode Radar, Kaveri Engine, airframe alloys, f...

This whole ruckus started after The Hindu (a major Indian news publication) reported " INS Arihant was left crippled after an 'accident' 10 months ago " The claims in this report are so absurd and filled with technical inconsistencies that anyone with even a basic understanding of submarine design and operational procedures would laugh at them, But then again, who needs that when you can just bang your head at the keyboard and call it a news report. First the report stated that " Arihant  ’s propulsion compartment was damaged after water rushed in as a hatch on the rear side was left open by mistake while it was at harbour." The Arihant has no hatches in the propulsion section as it is based on a Russian double hull design with a sealed nuclear reactor section (inspired by the Akula class submarines). The reactor is completely isolated and inaccesible in any way to prevent any potential nuclear contamination Although the Arihant's reactor is not designed...