Tejas likely to resume fLights from next week
Indigenously designed and manufactured Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) are set to return to the skies next week, two months after the entire fleet was grounded following an accident involving one of the aircraft at a frontline airbase.
DK Sunil, the Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the manufacturer of the jets, said the entire fleet of 34 Tejas will fly most likely from April 8 as the glitch found on board the aircraft’s software has been resolved. “All the Tejas jets are set to fly again from next Wednesday,” he said.
The fleet was grounded in the first week of February after one Tejas jet sustained damage to its airframe after it overshot the runway at the airbase following a suspected brake failure.
The IAF had also ordered a comprehensive scrutiny of the jets following the accident.On delays in delivery of Tejas Mark 1A variant to the Indian Air Force (IAF), Sunil said the HAL will be ready to deliver over 20 jets by December and that six of them could be supplied soon as the final tests of radar, avionics and missile-firing systems were currently underway.
The delivery of the jets is facing delays primarily due to GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for the supply of its F-404 aero engines to power the jets.
To a question on the IAF flagging certain issues relating to the performance of the jets, the HAL CMD said a project review committee in May is expected to clear the jets for deliveries.
US defence major GE Aerospace has delivered five jet engines to HAL, and the sixth one is expected to be supplied in the next few days.
It is also learnt that the HAL has imposed penalties under the provision of Liquidated Damages on GE Aviation for the delay in deliveries of the engines for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mark 1A.
The penalties are being imposed on GE Aerospace as per the contract. In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a INR 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.
The defence ministry in September last year sealed another deal worth INR 62,370 crore with the HAL to procure 97 Tejas MK-1A light combat aircraft for the IAF.
Tejas is a multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments. It has been designed to undertake the air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.
The IAF is looking at inducting the warplanes as the number of its fighter squadrons has gone down to 29 from the officially sanctioned strength of 42.
