‘India can manufacture only 8 Light Combat Aircraft a year’
December 8th, 2009 - 7:28 pm ICT by IANSPanaji, Dec 8 (IANS) Despite a pending order from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for 20 light combat aircraft (LCA), India can manufacture only eight such aircraft annually, a senior Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) official has said.
N. Shyama Rao, project director at the ADA, said Tuesday that while only eight LCA could be manufactured annually, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a public sector undertaking unit involved in the manufacture of the LCA, would undertake a massive recruitment drive in order to expand the scope of production of the fighter planes.
“Currently we can manufacture 8 aircraft per annum, which is extendable up to 12,” Rao said at a press conference at the INS Hansa, a naval base in Goa 30 km from here.
He also said that HAL in the near future could recruit nearly 500 officers to meet the challenge.
While the IAF has already ordered 20 LCA to be delivered by 2013, they are expected to order 20 more of the fighter craft which was christened Tejas by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The LCA will replace the IAF’s ageing Mig 21-fleet, while the naval version of the LCA will replace the maritime force’s fleet of Sea Harriers.
“Even the Indian Navy will be ordering the LCA once the ski jump trials are validated,” Air Vice Marshal Shankar Mani told reporters, adding that the naval version was still in the prototype phase.
The ski jump trials, which are compulsory for the naval version of the LCA, will enable the fighter craft to land and take off from the deck of aircraft carriers. “After spending some initial years on shore bases, the LCAs will also be posted onboard the Gorshkov, once it joins the Indian fleet,” Mani said.
He said addition of the LCA to the IAF fleet would help close the gap between the subsonic Kiran aircraft and the supersonic Mig 21.
Armed with air to air, air to ground missiles and a bomb carrying a 1,000 pound payload, the LCA, which clocked in excess of 1,350 kmph during a trial off Goa Tuesday, is expected to cost Rs.150 crore per aircraft.
P.N. Subramanium, project director at the ADA, said the LCA represented fourth generation technology. “The LCA is contemporary in every sense, whether it is in terms of sensors, electronic systems, technology, weaponry, etc,” he said.
The indigenously made fighter plane which has been flown by more than a dozen test pilots so far will be ready for induction into the IAF by 2010.
- India's own first supersonic fighter Tejas to join Air Force today - Jan 10, 2011
- Naval version of India's indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas begins test flight - Dec 09, 2009
- India test flies naval variant of LCA (Lead) - Apr 28, 2012
- Indian-made fighter plane Tejas clocks fastest speed - Dec 08, 2009
- India's own first supersonic fighter Tejas handed to Air Force - Jan 10, 2011
- India's own fighter jet Tejas to join air force Monday - Jan 09, 2011
- India's indigenous fighter to soar high at aero show (Lead, With Images) - Feb 07, 2011
- India to flaunt indigenous fighter at aero show - Feb 07, 2011
- India test-flies naval version of LCA - Apr 27, 2012
- IAF flies homegrown Tejas fighter jet for operational clearance - Jan 10, 2011
- India to form indigenous Tejas fighter squadron by 2013 (Lead, with Images) - Jan 10, 2011
- India to test fly naval combat fighter by year-end (Lead) - Jul 06, 2010
- Naval version of light combat aircraft rolls out a defining and memorable occasion: Antony - Jul 06, 2010
- South Asia's largest aero show takes off Wednesday - Feb 08, 2011
- Will ground MiG-29 if needed: Indian Navy chief - Jun 24, 2011
Tags: aeronautical development agency, air vice marshal, aircraft carriers, bihari vajpayee, fighter craft, fighter planes, former prime minister, gorshkov, indian air force, indian navy, lcas, light combat aircraft, pound payload, prime minister atal bihari, prototype phase, public sector undertaking, recruitment drive, shyama, ski jump, subsonic