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mack8 said:

In fairness Tejas is more or less similar to JF-17. Both will be likely in service for a long time facing eachother. Now that the Tejas has problems, mostly the never ending delays and mostly self-inflicted, it is true, but i guess it makes sense from IAF point of view to keep investing in it just like PAF and CAC will likely do so for JF-17/FC-1. Tejas Mk2 variant might even put it a bit ahead of the JF-17, though it is a bit unclear atm if the PFX program would be a sort of JF-17 Mk2 to even things out.

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I would imagine the PFX to be like the Tejas mark 2 in getting an engine change. It won't need canards because unlike the super light Tejas its planform would work pretty much as is with the engine change and upgrades to avionics.

Putting canards to the original design while incorporating a bit more powerful engine is a testament to the bad original design that had little future-proofing in the LCA.

Both programs would be going from an 85kN engine to one around ~100kN:

F-404 to F-414
RD-93 to WS-13E or WS-21

GiantPanda said:

There is no way the MK2 of this lightweight can be anything more than at best maybe a less lighter lightweight.

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Of course tejas isn't nowhere near lightest. It isn't even lightest within IAF, mig-21 bison isn't retired yet. Typical indian bubbas.

Tejas mk.1(A) and Tejas mk.2 are effectively two different aircraft, with commonality...on a level not dissimilar to Trump's F-55.
Tejas 1 was Indian ideal mig-21 replacement. Of course, it didn't go (stil doesn't go) as planned, but they are close to the target.
Main role - classic (Soviet-styled) frontline interceptor (take off, dash under GCI/AWACS, launch, get out). Yes, it's multirole(can do the exact same thing, but strike). Main price of this delay - cpt. Varthaman shoud've flown this aircraft, and not a 30-yr old upgrade of 50 yr old variant of a 60 yr old airframe.
Tejas 2 is significantly heavier and bigger, has a different aerodynamic layout, and it's effectively meant to be sepecat Jaguar (DARIN is ELU just to keep pants up) and Mirage replacement. It has much more fuel, and much more payload to go with that (especially useful payload). Consider it a small fighter-bomber.

Randomuser said:

It's basically big fish in a small pond or frog in the well problem. Since the establishment of India as a proper independent country, who could stand up to them in south asia? Everyone else is too small compared to India. There's a reason Nehru had no problem getting what he wanted until he had to deal with China. Then he got exposed hard and unfortunately that kinda sunk his legacy.

China has to deal with the west, Taiwan, Japan, Russia etc. 1962 which is considered a huge deal in India is not really much of a thing in China compared to bigger stuff like the Korean war or splitting up with the USSR. The best troops from China are all in the north part not where India is.

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They often try to do some show of force thinking their threats will scare their enemies and only ended up unprepared when their enemies retaliate in force.