LCA Competes With India’s Current and Future Foreign-Made Aircraft

India’s indigenously-developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is capable of competing with the Indian Air Force’s current and future fighter aircraft, according to the Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Avinash Chander.

The ‘4plus generation’ LCA designated as ‘Tejas’, is set to be inducted into the Air Force next month after  achieving its first Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) later this month. It has undergone 2,400 sorties and weapons firing as well as many other tests to meet the requirements of the IAF.

In an exclusive interview with Defenseworld.net, Avinash Chander who is also the Scientific Advisor to the India Defense Minister said,  though the aircraft took two decades to reach IOC stage,  “At the end of it, we’ve got an aircraft that is competing in capabilities with the best that we have and what we plan to acquire in the future. That is our indigenous strength. As we design and develop, we continuously keep on upgrading and modernizing even if there are delays”.

According to Chander, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which will manufacture the aircraft in batches, will roll out the first aircraft during the first half of 2014.

He also explained that the first steps in moving forward with the LCA program are starting production, the training process and induction plans that are yet to be activated.

With its Final Operation Clearance tests coming up, the Tejas will have to undergo mid-air refueling and weapons trials which “are more related to the operations rather than the performance.”

The DRDO is simultaneously pursuing the upgraded Mark II version of the aircraft as well as the naval version which will be inducted for use on aircraft carriers like the INS Vikramaditya. “The LCA has a well-defined program ahead. The DRDO is working on the next generation advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) and that it will be the next logical follow up to the LCA.”, he added

Tejas was first sanctioned in 1993 at the cost of $90 million, due to various delays and cost over runs the LCA eventually cost India some $4 billion in development.

“Now 20 years down the line, we’ve got a 4+ generation aircraft. I consider it to be a good timeframe for a country which has not built an aircraft for the last 40-odd years,” Chander added.