After Thirty-two
years the project was sanctioned, the first indigenously-built
Tejas Light Combat Aircraft was on Saturday handed over by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to the Indian Air Force, a red letter day for Indian
defence and aerospace sector.
The
handover signals the start of a process of induction of the fighters being
built at home under a project which has already cost the exchequer nearly Rs
8,000 crore.
The
entire project by the DRDO and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is estimated to
cost over Rs 30,000 crore. The aircraft that has been handed over has got
Initial Operational Clearance-II, which signifies that Tejas is airworthy in
different conditions, sources said. The Final Operational Clearance is expected
by the year-end.
This
version of the aircraft lacks the latest electronic warfare suite, which was
integrated into one of the LCAs two weeks ago, mid-air refuelling and long-range
missiles
capabilities, among other things that the FOC-configuration aircraft will have.
The
IOC-I was granted to the aircraft, being built by state-owned HAL, in January
2011.
The Tejas Series Production-1 (LCA-SP1) was handed over by
The Tejas Series Production-1 (LCA-SP1) was handed over by
"It
is a big big day for the country," a senior DRDO official said.
Incidentally, DRDO chief Avinash Chander, whose contract was terminated by the
minister recently with effect from January 31, was not present. The second
IOC was granted after the aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight on
September 30 last year.
The
sources said 20 aircraft will be built by 2017-2018, to make the first squadron
of the aircraft. The LCA programme was initiated in 1983 to replace the ageing
MiG-21s in IAF's combat fleet but has missed several deadlines due to various
reasons.
The
HAL's LCA Project Group has has been upgraded to a full- fledged division to
look after production in a systematic way with more investments. The HAL has
carried out thousands of sorties of the LCA and outstation flight trials at
Leh, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer,
Uttaralai
Gwalior, Pathankot and Goa for cold weather, armament and weapon deliveries,
MultiMode Radar, Radar Warning Receiver, hot weather and missile firing flight
trials.
Tejas
has also successfully demonstrated weapon delivery capability during trials at
Jamnagar and Jaisalmer, HAL officials said.
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