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 INS Vikramaditya and the INS Vikrant.
| Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter | |
|---|---|
| A model of HAL TEDBF displayed at Aero India 2021 | |
| Role | Carrier-based multirole fighter |
| National origin | India |
| Manufacturer | Hindustan Aeronautics Limited |
| Design group | Aeronautical Development Agency Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Defence Research and Development Organisation |
| Status | Under development |
| Developed from | HAL Tejas |
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.