India is known for its PPT equipment programs that have put it at the top of the PPT field. For example, India's PPT aircraft carrier is nuclear-powered, equipped with twin ship islands, with a displacement of at least 80,000 tons, and equipped with electromagnetic catapults, which can carry ** carrier-based aircraft. These data show that India's PPT aircraft carriers are very powerful. However, PPT is just PPT after all, and it is not easy for India to turn it into reality. However, India doesn't seem to care much about this, and they are focused on developing PPT equipment plans rather than actually implementing them. Therefore, they announce PPT plans from time to time, such as a PPT fighter reported by India recently, which belongs to the 2Version 0.
The fighter has a single-engine configuration with a canard layout that looks somewhat similar to the Swedish JAS-9 and the French Rafale. When drawing up the PPT, India referred to at least these two fighters, especially the Rafale fighter, because India is already equipped with this advanced fighter made in France. The MK-2 fighter has 11 hardpoints and a maximum take-off weight of 175 tons, maximum load 65 tons, flight speed up to 1Mach 8, and an active phased array radar is configured. Compared to the Tejas MK-1, the data of the MK-2 has been significantly improved. According to India**, the only difference between the MK-2 and the fifth-generation aircraft is the stealth capability, it belongs to the fourth-and-a-half-generation fighter with limited stealth capabilities, no stealth design, and no stealth paint is applied.
However, this did not prevent the MK-2 from being able to defeat ** fighters. As for what kind of ** fighter against, it is obvious. These data show the brilliance 20 vs. other fighters. India** always tends to praise Indian gear, even if it's still in the PPT stage. Their praise is often unrealistic, for example, for the MK-2, although other data look good, it will be at a disadvantage in a duel with a fifth-generation aircraft due to its lack of stealth capabilities. The MK-2 is not capable of detecting fifth-generation aircraft, which not only have stealth capabilities in their own right, but are also equipped with more advanced radars and missiles. Thus, the Mk-2 could be shot down without the discovery of a fifth-generation aircraft.
Despite this, India** still raises the Rafale fighter jets equipped by the Indian Air Force, calling them "modern game changers" and claiming to be able to defeat stealth fighters even if they do not have stealth capabilities. I am afraid that this kind of propaganda does not even dare to say this even to France, the country that manufactures the Rafale fighter. In the face of fifth-generation aircraft, France also knows that the Rafale fighter is at a disadvantage, so it basically does not advertise that the Rafale fighter can easily defeat the fifth-generation aircraft. In India, however, India has made a lot of noise about it. Even if the reports of India ** are true, it will be a long process to move the MK-2 from a conceptual design to an actual equip. Under normal circumstances, it takes more than 10 years to develop a new fighter, and in some countries it even takes 15 to 20 years. For India, it could be twice as long.
Take the MK-1 fighter (Tejas fighter 1Version 0), for example, it took India more than 35 years, almost 40 years to complete. And considering that the development of the MK-2 is more difficult, it is estimated that it will also take 40 years. Over the next 40 years, the Tejas fighter 2Version 0 will be developed and finalized, however, other countries have already launched sixth- and even seventh-generation fighters, while the Indian MK-2 is still a four-and-a-half-generation fighter. This means that it will face a situation where it is already behind when it enters service, similar to the Indian Tejas 10 version and the situation with Arjun fighters. Thirty years ago, performance and data were state-of-the-art, but today they pale. India still needs to "compromise" in terms of improving data and performance. Tejas Fighter 2Version 0 of the model has appeared.
At the moment India has only announced preliminary plans, and specific plans will be announced in 2024, which means the current Tejas fighter 2Version 0 is still just a preliminary PPT plan. Next year will be launched a more final version of the PPT program, hence the Tejas Fighter 2Version 0 may change its performance and data to become more advanced. Let's wait and see. I have to admit that India's rigor even extends to the PPT plan, which is divided into different levels.