Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has provided the clearest public view yet of the Tejas Mk1A fighter’s radar integration by revealing the aircraft’s exposed forward fuselage without its radome installed. The display showcases the radar mounting assembly, structural supports, avionics compartment, and installation architecture designed to accommodate the Israeli ELM-2052 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar. Although the radar antenna itself was not fitted, analysis of the mounting structure suggests sufficient internal volume for a substantially larger antenna aperture than previously estimated. Engineers believe the available space could support well over one thousand radiating elements depending on the final transmit/receive module configuration and cooling arrangement. The exposed installation also illustrates provisions for power distribution, liquid cooling, precision alignment, and avionics accessibility, reflecting the complexity of integrating modern AESA radar technology into India’s indigenous light combat aircraft.
