ADA Tejas (LCA) News and Discussions

[roma]

LCA design and management teams proved themselves

Took time to produce but the end product fits the demands of the day and apparently scared-off JF17

If not for for relatively small production rate and depletion of squadrons plus whatever left-over bias from officials who simply continue to insist on foreign product for some reasons, ( ahem ! ) the LAC is good enough even for facing up to china on defence performance ..... we may still need to import for the time frame till our production numbers can fill the gaps

given a chance it is increasingly likely that MCA might be better than anything china has including j31

management ,elimination of irrational decision making and biases ....easier said than done , i understand, but LCA has shown the way , plus the many successes of isro too shows india is up to it ...... give our folks a chance ...... save billions on imports , get into exports and seee things change before our very eyes, ....seems unbelievable but true

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[garg_bharat]

Nobody has any idea how AMCA will turn out as none has been built yet.

I wonder how people make statements on this message boards just based on guesses, assumptions and some press articles.

India is discussing PAK-FA with Russia as the tests of this plane are progressing and we can see what it does.

There is no firm timeline for AMCA, and it cannot form a part of IAF equipment plan for now.

 

[garg_bharat]

The current procurement plan is for Tejas FOC and Tejas 1A. HAL has been asked to ramp up production.

 

[Kharavela]

Air force, DRDO, pleased with Tejas performance at Bahrain
Ajai Shukla | New Delhi February 22, 2016 Last Updated at 23:43 IST

In a milestone for India’s Tejas light-combat aircraft (LCA), two Tejas fighters travelled from India to performed aerobatics at the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS-2016) from January 21-23. Business Standard has obtained the first official account of this first international outing, where the Tejas impressed global aerospace experts, taking an important first step towards export in the future.

This official account comes from the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is overseeing the flight test programme of the Tejas; and from the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the defence research & development (R&D) organisation responsible for the Tejas programme.

The proposal for this outing was initiated by the Kingdom of Bahrain, which invited the defence ministry in September 2015, to display the Tejas in BIAS-2016. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar quickly gave the go-ahead for the Tejas, and also the Embraer-mounted Airborne Early Warning System (AEWS), to travel to Bahrain.

It required a major organisational effort to get two Tejas fighters, three pilots and a fully equipped maintenance team from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to Bahrain. Only then could the Tejas display its “Made-for Bahrain” aerobatics, showcasing its performance in vertical climbs, tight turns, high-speed runs and slow flying ability.

The IAF detailed one of its giant C-17 Globemaster IIIs to transport the maintenance team and equipment to Bahrain. Two Tejas fighters flew three legs, over three days — the first from Bengaluru to Jamnagar in Gujarat (1,800 km); the second to Muscat (1,200 km), and the final leg to Bahrain (850 km).

The Indian Navy supported the flight over the Arabian Sea. The pilots were provided sea survival training at the new water survival training facility at Kochi. During the flights between Jamnagar and Muscat, the Navy kept one P8-I maritime aircraft airborne throughout, in case a rescue was needed.

Says Commodore (Retired) C D Balaji, who heads ADA: “The Bahraini authorities made us extremely welcome. Their minister for transportation personally came to the airport to receive the Tejas fighters when they flew in. The King of Bahrain came to our stall during the exhibition. We gifted him a model of the Tejas.”

Balaji confirms that the Pakistani light fighter, the JF-17 Thunder, was to come to Bahrain but pulled out at the last minute — it has been speculated that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) realised it would be overshadowed by the Tejas.

“We don’t know why Pakistan pulled out the JF-17. But, yes, it was scheduled to be at Bahrain. Its parking slot, which was next to ours, was eventually occupied by the Eurofighter,” says Balaji.

The Tejas’ flight displays went off flawlessly, with pilots from the National Flight Test Centre in Bengaluru, having put together a special “product demonstration” performance, which showcased for potential customers the operational performance that makes it a combat-worthy fighter — such as the ability to climb quickly and turn tightly.

The IAF, which is traditionally measured in its evaluation of the Tejas, says the fighter’s “control harmony is comparable to the best in the world… The intuitive cockpit layout and highly reliable life support systems provide for comfort as well as excellent situational awareness.”

Authoritatively detailing the Tejas’ performance parameters, the IAF says: “The LCA has a very competitive and cotemporary operational envelope. It is capable of operations up to an altitude of 50,000 feet and a maximum speed of 1.6 Mach at [high] altitudes or 730 knots… at low levels. The aircraft [can turn at] +8G to -2.5G (which allows it to U-turn in 350 metres) in operationally clean configuration… or +6G to -2.5G with other external stores.”

The IAF sums up: “The LCA Mark 1 was designed as a worthy indigenous replacement to the MiG fleet that has been the backbone of the defence of our skies for several decades. It is a safe and contemporary design with a reliable and efficient engine and many modern features. The aircraft is cockpit friendly, agile and easy to fly. It is this capability that was displayed in the recently concluded Bahrain International Air Show… Serial production of the aircraft by HAL has started and it is expected that fighter will be operationally inducted by IAF in 2016.”

*********************************************************************************
Mark the words in red.
Unbelievable... Praise of LCA from IAF !!!

Achhe din aa gaye...

 

[nitish.sarangi]

Air force, DRDO, pleased with Tejas performance at Bahrain
Ajai Shukla | New Delhi February 22, 2016 Last Updated at 23:43 IST

In a milestone for India’s Tejas light-combat aircraft (LCA), two Tejas fighters travelled from India to performed aerobatics at the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS-2016) from January 21-23. Business Standard has obtained the first official account of this first international outing, where the Tejas impressed global aerospace experts, taking an important first step towards export in the future.

This official account comes from the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is overseeing the flight test programme of the Tejas; and from the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the defence research & development (R&D) organisation responsible for the Tejas programme.

The proposal for this outing was initiated by the Kingdom of Bahrain, which invited the defence ministry in September 2015, to display the Tejas in BIAS-2016. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar quickly gave the go-ahead for the Tejas, and also the Embraer-mounted Airborne Early Warning System (AEWS), to travel to Bahrain.

It required a major organisational effort to get two Tejas fighters, three pilots and a fully equipped maintenance team from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to Bahrain. Only then could the Tejas display its “Made-for Bahrain” aerobatics, showcasing its performance in vertical climbs, tight turns, high-speed runs and slow flying ability.

The IAF detailed one of its giant C-17 Globemaster IIIs to transport the maintenance team and equipment to Bahrain. Two Tejas fighters flew three legs, over three days — the first from Bengaluru to Jamnagar in Gujarat (1,800 km); the second to Muscat (1,200 km), and the final leg to Bahrain (850 km).

The Indian Navy supported the flight over the Arabian Sea. The pilots were provided sea survival training at the new water survival training facility at Kochi. During the flights between Jamnagar and Muscat, the Navy kept one P8-I maritime aircraft airborne throughout, in case a rescue was needed.

Says Commodore (Retired) C D Balaji, who heads ADA: “The Bahraini authorities made us extremely welcome. Their minister for transportation personally came to the airport to receive the Tejas fighters when they flew in. The King of Bahrain came to our stall during the exhibition. We gifted him a model of the Tejas.”

Balaji confirms that the Pakistani light fighter, the JF-17 Thunder, was to come to Bahrain but pulled out at the last minute — it has been speculated that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) realised it would be overshadowed by the Tejas.

“We don’t know why Pakistan pulled out the JF-17. But, yes, it was scheduled to be at Bahrain. Its parking slot, which was next to ours, was eventually occupied by the Eurofighter,” says Balaji.

The Tejas’ flight displays went off flawlessly, with pilots from the National Flight Test Centre in Bengaluru, having put together a special “product demonstration” performance, which showcased for potential customers the operational performance that makes it a combat-worthy fighter — such as the ability to climb quickly and turn tightly.

The IAF, which is traditionally measured in its evaluation of the Tejas, says the fighter’s “control harmony is comparable to the best in the world… The intuitive cockpit layout and highly reliable life support systems provide for comfort as well as excellent situational awareness.”

Authoritatively detailing the Tejas’ performance parameters, the IAF says: “The LCA has a very competitive and cotemporary operational envelope. It is capable of operations up to an altitude of 50,000 feet and a maximum speed of 1.6 Mach at [high] altitudes or 730 knots… at low levels. The aircraft [can turn at] +8G to -2.5G (which allows it to U-turn in 350 metres) in operationally clean configuration… or +6G to -2.5G with other external stores.”

The IAF sums up: “The LCA Mark 1 was designed as a worthy indigenous replacement to the MiG fleet that has been the backbone of the defence of our skies for several decades. It is a safe and contemporary design with a reliable and efficient engine and many modern features. The aircraft is cockpit friendly, agile and easy to fly. It is this capability that was displayed in the recently concluded Bahrain International Air Show… Serial production of the aircraft by HAL has started and it is expected that fighter will be operationally inducted by IAF in 2016.”

*********************************************************************************
Mark the words in red.
Unbelievable... Praise of LCA from IAF !!!

Achhe din aa gaye...

How good is the 6G figure for loaded LCA? How does this figure compare to F-16? Is it enough to maneuver out of missile locks? the following link has some guys saying f-16 can pull less than 7Gs safely with external stores

http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10663

IAF had also reported issue with the sustained turn rate of LCA. Has this been addressed in way?

 

[smestarz]

Nobody has any idea how AMCA will turn out as none has been built yet.

I wonder how people make statements on this message boards just based on guesses, assumptions and some press articles.

India is discussing PAK-FA with Russia as the tests of this plane are progressing and we can see what it does.

There is no firm timeline for AMCA, and it cannot form a part of IAF equipment plan for now.

AMCA design is done, Just wonder how AMCA and FGFA will compliment each other, wont they both be MRCA?

 

[HariPrasad-1]

Air force, DRDO, pleased with Tejas performance at Bahrain
Ajai Shukla | New Delhi February 22, 2016 Last Updated at 23:43 IST

In a milestone for India’s Tejas light-combat aircraft (LCA), two Tejas fighters travelled from India to performed aerobatics at the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS-2016) from January 21-23. Business Standard has obtained the first official account of this first international outing, where the Tejas impressed global aerospace experts, taking an important first step towards export in the future.

This official account comes from the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is overseeing the flight test programme of the Tejas; and from the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the defence research & development (R&D) organisation responsible for the Tejas programme.

The proposal for this outing was initiated by the Kingdom of Bahrain, which invited the defence ministry in September 2015, to display the Tejas in BIAS-2016. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar quickly gave the go-ahead for the Tejas, and also the Embraer-mounted Airborne Early Warning System (AEWS), to travel to Bahrain.

It required a major organisational effort to get two Tejas fighters, three pilots and a fully equipped maintenance team from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to Bahrain. Only then could the Tejas display its “Made-for Bahrain” aerobatics, showcasing its performance in vertical climbs, tight turns, high-speed runs and slow flying ability.

The IAF detailed one of its giant C-17 Globemaster IIIs to transport the maintenance team and equipment to Bahrain. Two Tejas fighters flew three legs, over three days — the first from Bengaluru to Jamnagar in Gujarat (1,800 km); the second to Muscat (1,200 km), and the final leg to Bahrain (850 km).

The Indian Navy supported the flight over the Arabian Sea. The pilots were provided sea survival training at the new water survival training facility at Kochi. During the flights between Jamnagar and Muscat, the Navy kept one P8-I maritime aircraft airborne throughout, in case a rescue was needed.

Says Commodore (Retired) C D Balaji, who heads ADA: “The Bahraini authorities made us extremely welcome. Their minister for transportation personally came to the airport to receive the Tejas fighters when they flew in. The King of Bahrain came to our stall during the exhibition. We gifted him a model of the Tejas.”

Balaji confirms that the Pakistani light fighter, the JF-17 Thunder, was to come to Bahrain but pulled out at the last minute — it has been speculated that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) realised it would be overshadowed by the Tejas.

“We don’t know why Pakistan pulled out the JF-17. But, yes, it was scheduled to be at Bahrain. Its parking slot, which was next to ours, was eventually occupied by the Eurofighter,” says Balaji.

The Tejas’ flight displays went off flawlessly, with pilots from the National Flight Test Centre in Bengaluru, having put together a special “product demonstration” performance, which showcased for potential customers the operational performance that makes it a combat-worthy fighter — such as the ability to climb quickly and turn tightly.

The IAF, which is traditionally measured in its evaluation of the Tejas, says the fighter’s “control harmony is comparable to the best in the world… The intuitive cockpit layout and highly reliable life support systems provide for comfort as well as excellent situational awareness.”

Authoritatively detailing the Tejas’ performance parameters, the IAF says: “The LCA has a very competitive and cotemporary operational envelope. It is capable of operations up to an altitude of 50,000 feet and a maximum speed of 1.6 Mach at [high] altitudes or 730 knots… at low levels. The aircraft [can turn at] +8G to -2.5G (which allows it to U-turn in 350 metres) in operationally clean configuration… or +6G to -2.5G with other external stores.”

The IAF sums up: “The LCA Mark 1 was designed as a worthy indigenous replacement to the MiG fleet that has been the backbone of the defence of our skies for several decades. It is a safe and contemporary design with a reliable and efficient engine and many modern features. The aircraft is cockpit friendly, agile and easy to fly. It is this capability that was displayed in the recently concluded Bahrain International Air Show… Serial production of the aircraft by HAL has started and it is expected that fighter will be operationally inducted by IAF in 2016.”

*********************************************************************************
Mark the words in red.
Unbelievable... Praise of LCA from IAF !!!

Achhe din aa gaye...

Ye sab parrikar ka kamal hai. See, how the plane once termed over weight, draggy and not like by indian airforce has totally been perceived differently by whole world and IAF specially. Parrikar told clearly that you are not going to get more than 36 rafale or any other foreign fighter left IAF with no choice. Now for the first time, they have appreciated Tejas and have made a realistic assessment.

 

[Superdefender]

Ye sab parrikar ka kamal hai. See, how the plane once termed over weight, draggy and not like by indian airforce has totally been perceived differently by whole world and IAF specially. Parrikar told clearly that you are not going to get more than 36 rafale or any other foreign fighter left IAF with no choice. Now for the first time, they have appreciated Tejas and have made a realistic assessment.

He even warned French lobbies, much to their surprise! Ha ha

 

[Superdefender]

AMCA design is done, Just wonder how AMCA and FGFA will compliment each other, wont they both be MRCA?

FGFA will be heavy class combat fighter, not MRCA! AMCA is MRCA ofcourse.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

IAF had also reported issue with the sustained turn rate of LCA. Has this been addressed in way?

The STR we observed in Bahrain was 21 second which is 17* which is very good. By FOC it is said that there should not be any problem in touching 18* i.e 20 second. This is a huge improvement of atleast 4 second observed anytime in past. This is very good for Delta wing design. With aerodynamic improvements and weight reduction, these parameter will go steeply upward. Vertical loop was struck in just 17 second which is comparable with the best. Plane has struck 8+g and capable of doing 9g which is best figure for any small aircraft. AOA had touched 26* a long back and will be 28* in some time from now. All these are very good figures in fact the best comparable with anything i.e F 16. Our bird is still evolving and offers a huge scope of improvement. Indian airforce which was critical of Tejas has first time praised it in clear terms. This should be enough to prove the stuff of the plane and where it stands.

 

[Chinmoy]

Air force, DRDO, pleased with Tejas performance at Bahrain
Ajai Shukla | New Delhi February 22, 2016 Last Updated at 23:43 IST

In a milestone for India’s Tejas light-combat aircraft (LCA), two Tejas fighters travelled from India to performed aerobatics at the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS-2016) from January 21-23. Business Standard has obtained the first official account of this first international outing, where the Tejas impressed global aerospace experts, taking an important first step towards export in the future.

This official account comes from the Indian Air Force (IAF), which is overseeing the flight test programme of the Tejas; and from the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), the defence research & development (R&D) organisation responsible for the Tejas programme.

The proposal for this outing was initiated by the Kingdom of Bahrain, which invited the defence ministry in September 2015, to display the Tejas in BIAS-2016. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar quickly gave the go-ahead for the Tejas, and also the Embraer-mounted Airborne Early Warning System (AEWS), to travel to Bahrain.

It required a major organisational effort to get two Tejas fighters, three pilots and a fully equipped maintenance team from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to Bahrain. Only then could the Tejas display its “Made-for Bahrain” aerobatics, showcasing its performance in vertical climbs, tight turns, high-speed runs and slow flying ability.

The IAF detailed one of its giant C-17 Globemaster IIIs to transport the maintenance team and equipment to Bahrain. Two Tejas fighters flew three legs, over three days — the first from Bengaluru to Jamnagar in Gujarat (1,800 km); the second to Muscat (1,200 km), and the final leg to Bahrain (850 km).

The Indian Navy supported the flight over the Arabian Sea. The pilots were provided sea survival training at the new water survival training facility at Kochi. During the flights between Jamnagar and Muscat, the Navy kept one P8-I maritime aircraft airborne throughout, in case a rescue was needed.

Says Commodore (Retired) C D Balaji, who heads ADA: “The Bahraini authorities made us extremely welcome. Their minister for transportation personally came to the airport to receive the Tejas fighters when they flew in. The King of Bahrain came to our stall during the exhibition. We gifted him a model of the Tejas.”

Balaji confirms that the Pakistani light fighter, the JF-17 Thunder, was to come to Bahrain but pulled out at the last minute — it has been speculated that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) realised it would be overshadowed by the Tejas.

“We don’t know why Pakistan pulled out the JF-17. But, yes, it was scheduled to be at Bahrain. Its parking slot, which was next to ours, was eventually occupied by the Eurofighter,” says Balaji.

The Tejas’ flight displays went off flawlessly, with pilots from the National Flight Test Centre in Bengaluru, having put together a special “product demonstration” performance, which showcased for potential customers the operational performance that makes it a combat-worthy fighter — such as the ability to climb quickly and turn tightly.

The IAF, which is traditionally measured in its evaluation of the Tejas, says the fighter’s “control harmony is comparable to the best in the world… The intuitive cockpit layout and highly reliable life support systems provide for comfort as well as excellent situational awareness.”

Authoritatively detailing the Tejas’ performance parameters, the IAF says: “The LCA has a very competitive and cotemporary operational envelope. It is capable of operations up to an altitude of 50,000 feet and a maximum speed of 1.6 Mach at [high] altitudes or 730 knots… at low levels. The aircraft [can turn at] +8G to -2.5G (which allows it to U-turn in 350 metres) in operationally clean configuration… or +6G to -2.5G with other external stores.”

The IAF sums up: “The LCA Mark 1 was designed as a worthy indigenous replacement to the MiG fleet that has been the backbone of the defence of our skies for several decades. It is a safe and contemporary design with a reliable and efficient engine and many modern features. The aircraft is cockpit friendly, agile and easy to fly. It is this capability that was displayed in the recently concluded Bahrain International Air Show… Serial production of the aircraft by HAL has started and it is expected that fighter will be operationally inducted by IAF in 2016.”

*********************************************************************************
Mark the words in red.
Unbelievable... Praise of LCA from IAF !!!

Achhe din aa gaye...

I too got a shock of my life when got this news . But going by past experience, you can't take each and every word of IAF. Someone else would criticize it again in coming day or two and our media would publish it with quote as "from a reliable source" :biggrin2:.

 

[cobra commando]

Team HAL upbeat over Tejas’ stupendous success in Bahrain

 

[Superdefender]

If IAF is so upbeat on mk. 1, then wait for mk. 1A and lets see their reaction then.

 

[nitish.sarangi]

The STR we observed in Bahrain was 21 second which is 17* which is very good. By FOC it is said that there should not be any problem in touching 18* i.e 20 second. This is a huge improvement of atleast 4 second observed anytime in past. This is very good for Delta wing design. With aerodynamic improvements and weight reduction, these parameter will go steeply upward. Vertical loop was struck in just 17 second which is comparable with the best. Plane has struck 8+g and capable of doing 9g which is best figure for any small aircraft. AOA had touched 26* a long back and will be 28* in some time from now. All these are very good figures in fact the best comparable with anything i.e F 16. Our bird is still evolving and offers a huge scope of improvement. Indian airforce which was critical of Tejas has first time praised it in clear terms. This should be enough to prove the stuff of the plane and where it stands.

Great to know Tejas has become matured enough for IAF. I remember as per the Vayu-stratpost roundtable meet in 2014, IAF marshals mostly criticized the program.


I hope when the next roundtable happens, they will be all praise for it having the AESA, Derby and IFR integrated.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

Great to know Tejas has become matured enough for IAF. I remember as per the Vayu-stratpost roundtable meet in 2014, IAF marshals mostly criticized the program.


I hope when the next roundtable happens, they will be all praise for it having the AESA, Derby and IFR integrated.

Yes , I think Ajay shukla was also there in conference. I remember the words of Ex Airforce chief that Tejas had improved a lot in last two years. On all the blogs and discussions, I was always advocating that rather than going for MK2 and Mk3, we must find the ways improve MK1 itself. I am happy that it has turned out to be true now. When the weight shall be slashed and other improvements shall be made, tejas shall be transformed into a super plane like LCH and ALH. We are setting the things right. Weight reduction and aerodynamic improvements are right steps in right direction. Wing redesign and Air intake redesign should be next. we must have a great desi plane in next few years. Late Parvez Khokkar had rightly said that ADA and HAL should not hid the problems but rather try to resolve them. It is happening now. We are all set to get a great plane. Much better than all Junk (1 to 100) of china.

 

[Prashant12]

Tejas with new Cobham quatrz radome

 

[V_Force]

Nice update, I want to know staus of refuelling probe and how many serial production tejas are ready. One thing more, anyone noticed the change in the nose cone shape compared to earlier pics available. May be I noticed due to odd angle of image or is just my illusion.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

LSP3 with quartz radome has flown now.

 

[AbRaj]

OneIndia Special: Tejas ready to spit fire during Iron Fist

Bengaluru, Feb 26: Within a month after scripting history in Bahrain with its maiden flying display outside Indian skies, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is ready for the next mission. Sources confirm to OneIndia on Thursday that two Tejas variants are likely to be part of the upcoming Iron Fist, set to begin on March 18.A total of three Tejas variants will be made ‘hot-ready' for Iron Fist, with one being on the stand-by mode. In an interview to OneIndia, during the IAF's 83rd anniversary celebrations in 2015, a top Aeronautical Development Agency official had said that Tejas would be demonstrating the weapon firing skills during Iron Fist-2016. "Tejas will be demonstrating the BVR (Beyond Visual Range) missile launching and stick bombing capabilities with tandem bomb carrier in swing role," the official had said. Interestingly, Tejas had recently demonstrated firing the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile Derby at Jamnagar. It is expected to fire the Close Combat Missile Python-5 soon. Iron Fist is IAF's largest fire power demonstration event with the network-centric warfare capabilities being exhibited to fullest. It is scheduled to begin at the Chandan Field Firing Range in Jaisalmer from March 18. The IAF had demonstrated its day-dusk-night operational capabilities during Iron Fist-2013. Two variants of Tejas had participated during the 2013 show held in the month of February. Over 200 aircraft demonstrated their capabilities spread across five days in 2013. The President, the PM and a host of other top officials are expected to witness Iron Fist-2016.

Meanwhile, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Airport witnessed a significant event on Wednesday, February 24, with the Limited Series Production (LSP-3) variant of Tejas flying with a new quartz radome from Cobham, UK. The flight was piloted by Group Capt Rangachari and the new radome is expected to increase the radar range to 80 km and beyond. With Iron Fist-2016 round the corner, it's action time for HAL's Tejas Division in Bengaluru. Year 2016 has been a busy year for the Tejas Division with Bahrain air show, weapon trials at Jamnagar and now Iron Fist. An IAF official says that the Tejas team has been asked to report at Jaisalmer on March 2.

"The HAL detachments will be moving to Jamnagar first and then to Jaisalmer. There is no bigger and better coordinated event for IAF. Not even the air show in Bengaluru (Aero India)," says the IAF official

Read more at: http://www.oneindia.com/india/onein...dy-to-spit-fire-during-iron-fist-2024679.html

 

[AbRaj]

IAF to induct 8 squadrons 'Tejas' in 8 years: Parrikar

Indian Air Force will induct three to four indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas' this year and a total of eight squadrons in eight years, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said today.
He told the Lok Sabha that a Letter of Intent for procuring 120 Tejas was issued and the first aircraft was inducted by the IAF in 2015 and three to four would be inducted this year.

"Letter of Intent has been issued for 120 LCA. The first aircraft was given during 2015. The next three to four, to form the squadron, will be delivered during current year.

"We are also in the process of approving the second line of manufacturing to the HAL so that they can produce 16 aircraft per year. In the next eight years, you will have about eight squadrons of LCA," he said during Question Hour.

Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is the nodal organisation for the development of 'Tejas'.

Parrikar said India has been importing 15 per cent of the global arms imports which has now come down to 14 per cent.

India's arms import bill has also come down from around Rs 35,000 crore to Rs 24,900 crore now, he said.

The Defence Minister said Indian defence industries, ordnance factories and shipyards have been functioning in full capacity and the orders received by them have increased substantially over the years.

They have orders to the tune of Rs 1,60,000 crore and they would not be able to complete all orders even in the next ten years, he said, adding that these orders were indigenous, mostly from the government, and just two per cent orders from abroad.

Replying to another question, Parrikar refuted a suggestion that India's budget allocation for defence sector was low in comparison to countries like the US, China and Pakistan, saying the pensions of defence personnel was not part of the defence budget.

He said modernisation of the armed forces was a continuous process based on threat perception, operational challenges and technological changes to keep the armed forces in a state of readiness to meet the entire spectrum of security challenges.

"Government attaches the highest priority to ensuring that the armed forces are sufficiently equipped to meet any operational requirement. This is achieved through induction of new equipment and technological upgradation of capabilities," he said.
- See more at: http://m.deccanherald.com/index.php...drons-tejas.html&secid=3#sthash.WIzZtbPh.dpuf