The initial operational clearance (IOC) for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) – Tejas and also a formal release to service certificate was handed today over by the Defence Minister AK Antony to Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, PVSM, VSM, ADC and Chief of Air Staff.
The release to service certificate prepared by RCMA(A/C), an organization of CEMILAC, which has thoroughly scrutinized the entire design, development, equipment testing and flight testing results of all the systems of Tejas over the last several months. This is the first time an indigenously designed and developed military fighter aircraft is being certified for Air Force operations. This occasion marks a very important achievement in the design and development of Tejas in particular and military aviation in the country overall. After this, Tejas aircraft will be available for use by the Indian Air Force pilots.
In his address, AK Antony, said, “Tejas would go a long way in enhancing national security and towards building our own combat aircraft capability. The IOC would ensure faster delivery of the first lot of 20 production standard aircraft to user (Indian Air Force) with assured safety and specified performance before the end of the year.”
Further, there is a scope for supplying more of Mark 2 variants of Navy and Air Force. The estimation is that the nation needs about 200 of Tejas aircraft. The airrcraft is expected to get its Final Operational Clearance in two years.
Indigenous Content
The aircraft’s indigenous content will go up from the current 60% to 75% in the upgraded version. The per unit cost of the combat variant of the LCA works out to Rs 180 crore to Rs 200 crore, while the two seat trainer version costs Rs 210 crore.
According to PS Subramanyam, director, Aeronautical Development Agency, “About two decades ago the Tejas Programme got initiated to develop the technologies of the fourth generation fighter aircraft and demonstrate them on the two technology demonstrator aircraft. There was a gap of two generation of technologies at that time. The Tejas team consisting of ADA, HAL, DRDO, IAF, CEMILAC, DGAQA, PSUs, private industries and academic institutions took up the challenge and has flown the first Technology Demonstrator (TD) encompassing fourth generation technologies on January 4, 2001.”
By March 2004, with one more Technology Demonstrator and one prototype vehicle, all the technologies of the fourth generation relevant to the Tejas have been demonstrated successfully completing the technology demonstration phase.
The next phase of the programme was initiated in November 2001 with the government funding for not only building the prototypes for the fighter and trainer versions but also for establishing the limited series production (LSP) line, and delivery of eight LSP aircraft. Today the programme reached a stage of demonstrating the integration of all the required sensors and weapons, also demonstration of safe and reliable flying within the specified flight envelope. These have been demonstrated through about 1500 test flights using about 11 aircraft flown by over 15 test pilots of Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.
IAF Places Order
Based on the above progress, the Indian Air Force placed an order for the first 20 aircraft in 2006 and the next 20 aircraft in December 2010. In addition, the government has funded the extension of the Tejas development Programme of Mark – II variant to upgrade Tejas with higher thrust engine. There is a likelihood of delivering altogether seven squadrons of Tejas aircraft to Indian Air Force.
Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat, scientific advisor to Defence Minister and director general-ADA said, “It is worth recognizing that during the last two decades; the effort of the Tejas team has not only gone into production of the aircraft and the flight testing, it has uplifted the technology level of various disciplines of design, development, ground testing and flight testing in the country. Technology levels of these areas have been taken up to fourth generation in the country. The programme has also nurtured a large human capital of aeronautical engineers during the last two decades.”
This evolution of the eco systems in aeronautics has made the country ready to take on future military and civil aviation challenges. The military aviation programmes like the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles, Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, Military Transport Aircraft, etc., are already visible on the horizon. It is also a day to celebrate the achievements of Indian Aeronautical Community in terms of self-reliance and mastering the four plus generation technologies of military aviation.
This is a significant achievement for all the stakeholders in the program, which include Aeronautical Development Agency, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratory, Aeronautical Development Establishment, CEMILAC, DGAQA, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy besides a number of private enterprises.
According to John Siddharth C.P, industry analyst, Aerospace & Defence, Frost & Sullivan, South Asia & Middle East, “The successful flight of India’s first indigenous LCA is a mile stone for the aerospace market in India. Tejas is the world’s smallest supersonic combat aircraft. The first Tejas squadron is expected to be based out of Sulur, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.”