BANGALORE: I was in Bangalore in January 2011 when the Indian Air Force grudgingly accepted a milestone in the indigenous LCA Tejas programme. What was supposed to have been initial operational clearance (IOC), had to be staggered, with an agonising three-year wait before the platform would achieve IOC-2 (test points the platform failed to achieve by IOC-1 in Jan 2011), completing the protracted IOC exercise. The ceremony, as reported here on Livefist before, will be on December 20.
I happen to be back in Bangalore now, but on holiday. If I can tear myself away from family (and I can’t), I’ll attend the short preview event for the Tejas here in the city on December 19, where the Tejas test team and others will be present — more details should be available there about what test points the team is postponing to the FOC regime. What we do know is that there are certain performance requirements that will be shifted to the FOC schedule. I will be leaving Bangalore on the day of the IOC-2 ceremony on December 20, but will bring you preview material here over the next one week. Nervous time for the team and the air force. Let’s hope it isn’t a re-run of January 2011. The Tejas deserves better.
@shiv:
the IAF had earlier stated that the performance of tejas is unsatisfactory with a combat load.if such is indeed the case then what is the point of inducting an aircraft that is already obsolete.
i feel it would have been better had ADA not pushed on mk1 and began work on mk2 right away back then. in such a scenario we might have seen it in service by 2015 or so.
Given the mk1 timelines, i seriously doubt that mk2 would be flying before 2017-18 and inducted before 2020.
given tejas enters service in 2014-15 timeline, how relevant would the $20 billion+ MMRCA project be since it was conceived from the very beginning to fill the void created by retiring MiG-21s and delays in tejas.
the MMRCA deal is still not inked and seems unlikely this year.even if all goes right and the deal is signed by mid 2014 , deliveries won't begin by 2015 or 2016 at the earliest and this too is just for the first 18 bought off the shelf from dassault, after which HAL would take its own share of time to eshtablish a production line and then produce at a pathetic 10-12 a year .
given all this we are probably looking at a 2024-25 timeline for complete induction of 126 aircraft.
hey Shiv,
I have been following the LCA story for some time now but could could you post the IAF gsrq for the project i haven't been able to find it anywhere. If its confidential at least can you post the gross requirements. thanks a ton
Harishs
Hi Shiv,
I have been following the LCA saga for some time now. But haven't been able to find the IAF's GSRQ for the project. could you publish the gist here If it is confidential you must have some idea about the requirements
i m waiting for 20th dec , hope some news channel will take brief coverage of the induction ceremony…
but you know the Indian media,
Will Count on you for some nice pictures….
Tejas clearence is linked to MMRCA deal is known to all.The top brass are playing the game of USA which wants the MMRCA deal scuttled.But in a way this is good for India, if it can get a better engine for the Tejas.Anyhow Mark 1 will serve the purpose as replacement of MIG 21 retired recently which need not have happenned now.
Those making three legged cheetah comment should be decent enough to praise the ADA now for what has been achieved and if not then at least after FOC. An year when FOC is achieved and LCA MK 2 is developed then it achieves what a top line performance then at least must praise what was achieved at the price of mirage upgrade with obsolete non AESA radar and vintage engine and same old body IAF is getting a brand new frontline fighter whose upgrade can be continuous at a very reasonable cost.If MK2 is a success then MK3 dual engine version can be quickly developed with two engines with internal weapons bay and then Tejas team would have the confidence to develop AMCA.
TIMBAKTOO
NSR says –
Brazil rejected Rafale because of costs and UAE did not like the cost and lifecycle costs too.
Also France is not interested in sharing technology at all.
Russia agreed for T-90S and Invar technology transfer but never gave gun and guidance technology. They say it is not covered as soon as you buy.
So India should immediately cancel Rafale and instead invest on Tejas I and II and produce them on war footing. Building AESA radars and BVRM missiles by working with various foreign companies should be #1 priority.
The must finish Tejas I ASAP and keep flying it and then fix problems as we find them so Tejas II should be the best. Incidentally, Tejas II should have bbigger engine nacelles to overcome angle of attack issues and also nose should be bigger to accommodate AESA radars.
It is very important to do all these things on a war footing as no one gives any technology…Israel does not want to share technology for LR-SAM eventhough we footed half of the budget so I hope the Babus, DRDO, IAF, HAL, etc learns a lesson soon…
Figuter plane technology is extremely complex. To,do it without accidents is an achievement for a country that can hardly design a car. I am sure Tejas will evolve to be a fine fighter. DRDO and HAL , I am sure will release not only mk2, but further improved versions very 3-4 years.
Congratulations to the team, may god bless them to achieve even greater heights.
I would like to draw attention to another key aspect of the tejas programme that has been ovelooked till date.
Tejas as mentioned by former CAS P.V.Naik is bsically a MIG 21 bis ++ ,similar in performance to the gripen C ,but far cheaper.It could thus be the ideal replacement for the 700 or so mig 21 variants and around 500 F-5 variants in service worldwide today.
we thus have a golden opportunity to turn into a major arms exporter .
Also i feel that the MMRCA must be scrapped immediately and the money funneled into the tejas programme to accelerate the mk2 developement which might be equal in performance to the mirage 2000 which was what the IAF originally wanted as their MMRCA.
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Family or country …Its your decision… 🙂
How may countries have designed frontline 4th generation plus fighter aircrafts . People who cannot appreciate this fact should not say anything which will demotivate this organizations . Second , India needs both a heavy fighter ( perhaps Rafale is not the best choice ) and an agile lightweight fighter which is only Tejas , after the retirement of MIG 21. lAST BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT IS THAT A LATER BLOCK OF TEJAS (MAY BE mk3 or 4) with indigineous TVC engine can be developed , LT US NOT DOWNPLAY SELF RELIANCE .
@Sourav, its amply clear that you're not aware of Tejas or its milestones. You only rely on reports fed by Times of India and The Indian Express.
What you're saying was stated "earlier". Much much earlier, in fact. This milestone of IoC-2 meets all of IAF's expectations. In fact, during IoC-1 itself, Tejas could carry equal or more payload as any rusting MiG-21 in the fleet. IAF's complaint was it wasn't fully A2A capable at that time.
Even then it could've been inducted as an air-superiority fighter, replacing the MiG-23 and to-be-retired MiG-27s (remember, these too have to be replaced and not just the MiG-21).
But finally some sense has been knocked into the IAF. Let the Tejas fly with glory for a long long time to come.
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