Light combat aircraft


 * This article refers to a class of aircraft. For India's (LCA) Light Combat Aircraft programme see HAL Tejas. 

A Light combat aircraft is a light multirole military aircraft most coming from advanced trainers that have been modified or designed for engaging in light combat missions, either in light strike or attack missions, reconnaissance or interdiction roles while some keeping its trainer role. They are also slower than their bigger counterparts capable only of subsonic speed though some are capable of reaching mach 1+. Although equipped with either guns or short range air-to-air missiles it is usually for self defense purpose or anti-helicopter missions not for air defense as lightweight fighters do, though some are capable of air combat missions due to integrated or have variants capable of carrying powerful multi-mode radar systems,  most LCAs don't have such due to their small limited design or are less powerful. However they can still be used to patrol the skies and implement border patrol or air policing. These aircraft are usually smaller and more lightly armed than the bigger multirole or strike aircraft such as the American F-18, F-15E Strike Eagle or Russian Mig-29. Most LCAs are armed with either bombs, rockets or gun pods used for COIN or CAS missions. Some aircraft have been developed to integrate more advanced armaments such as smart bombs and air to ground missiles and electronic targeting systems for better mission capability.