As the MIG 21 flies out of Indian Air Force, the indigenously designed Indian pride light Combat Aircraft (lCA) Tejas is ready to replace it soon. The DRDO developed; HAl built fourth generation fighter jet light combat aircraft is expected to get initial operational clearance (IOC) and take over the MIGs stride to guard the Indian skies. The Tejas which is called the tile less wonder developed under Aero Nautical Development Agency (ADA) in Bangalore under DRDO is all geared up to face the challenges in the skies.
According to sources in the HAl, world’s lightest fighter jet will be inducted in to forces on December 20 in Bangalore in the presence of galaxy of VIPS, scientists, technocrats and others. A senior scientist involved in its creation said, “We are looking ahead for December 20. Our pride world’s lightest fighter jet Tejas would be inducted into Indian Air Force in the presence of Defence Minister, Air Chief Marshal, DRDO chief and others. It’s going to be our proud moment.”
last week Tejas had cleared a critical test by accurately firing an infrared missile on the skies of Goa. The air to air missile R-73 fired by Tejas had accurately destroyed a target being towed by unmanned aircraft drone lakshya achieving one more milestone towards joining the Indian Air Force. The test also paved the way for the IOC-2 declaration, scheduled for December 20. Defence Minister AK Antony will arrive with a high-profile team for the event, for which preparations have already begun at the Old HAl airport in Bangalore.
HAl chairman RK Tyagi had said with the missile firing, the Tejas had proved some of its capabilities.”Our aim now is to aid the IAF quickly with the series production aircraft so that the squadron formation takes place as planned. There is definitely excitement in the air following the Goa trials,” Tyagi said.
A source in the HAl told The Pioneer that after getting IOC Hal will produce 20 IOC version of lCA to the Indian Air Force. He said, “We are going to produce 20 IOC ready Tejas to the IAF. But fully battle ready lCAs would be ready after 2014.”
In fact few months back Defence Minister AK Antony had expressed his displeasure over delay in production of lCAs. He had openly asked HAl to gear up to fulfill the needs of IAF. lCA, a 25-year-old Indian indigenous programme realised its dream when George Fernandes was the Defence Minister and then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpyaee named the lCA as Tejas.
HAl plans to initially produce eight lCA for the IAF a year from 2014-15, and raise the delivery rate to 12-16 a year subsequently. HAl has built an exclusive production centre for Tejas in Bangalore. Two squadrons (each having 18-20 aircraft) are expected to be delivered in five years, that is, around 2019. The IAF is expected to eventually station the lCA fleet at the Sulur Air Force Station near Coimbatore. According to IAF sources, they need 200 to 220 lCA’s in near future. HAl has supplied a limited series of eight aircraft leading to the IOC and has orders for 40 lCA from the IAF: of them, 20 are to be in the IOC mode for an order worth Rs4,000 crore and another 20 in the FOC mode. The Navy, too, it is said, needs 40 of them to replace the Sea Harriers.