A New Star at Aero-India 2015

   The LCA Tejas Series Production-1 (SP1) was handed over by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal Arup Raha in Bengaluru on Saturday. Tejas is expected to be the star attraction at the Aero India 2015 to be held at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru from 18 to 22 Feb 2015 

    Now that it has completed its flight test program or Initial Operational Clearance –II which signifies it’s airworthy in different flying condition the aircraft is expected to enthralled crowds at with its breath-taking aerobatics more impressive than what it displayed during Aero-India 2013.

  Tejas is designed to replace the IAF's ageing fleet of MiG-21 and MiG-23 aircraft. It is a single-seat, lightweight, high-agility, supersonic fighter aircraft jointly manufactured by a consortium of five organisations pooled HAL and the Aeronautical Development Agency

   The aircraft is however, expected to achieve final operational clearance (FOC) only by the year-end which is a further six-month delay from the earlier time limit of June.

   Informed sources  say that the LCA Tejas's the IAF version, the Naval version and the trainer version will either fly at the Aero-India 2015 or may be displayed on the ground. 

  The LCA has completed over 3000 flying hours without any hitch which makes it one of the most elaborate test programs of any aircraft manufacturer in the world. Defence Research and Development Organisation aeronautical research and development projects director-general K Tamilmani is said to have told that the Aeronautical Development Agency is still awaiting supply of the refuelling probe and the quartz nose cone to test the Tejas' radar performance from Cobham.

   Also ordered by the Indian Navy, the aircraft features eight external hardpoints to carry stores, with three under each wing and a tailless compound delta platform. It can also be armed with air-to-air, air-to-ground, and anti-ship missiles, precision-guided munitions, rockets and bombs

   HAL sources are quoted to have said that the production of LCA Tejas will be 20 aircraft by 2017-2018, to make the first squadron of the aircraft. By 2020, HAL hopes to supply 40 Mark I LCA aircraft to the IAF, which is expected to ultimately field approximately 14 LCA squadrons.