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The NP-1 twin seat trainer prototype took off at 12.10pm on a 20 minute flight. The aircraft was piloted by Commodore Jaideep Avinash Maolankar, Chief Test Pilot with the NFTC, and co-piloted by Wing Commander M. Prabhu, flight test engineer (FTE). Both pilots report that the first flight was a success and that the aircraft responded as expected.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Satish Soni and DRDO chief Dr V.K. Saraswat were among those who witnessed the first flight.
The platform has had several technical hurdles that the team has worked hard to sort out. Stay tuned for updates and photos. As always, you heard it first on Livefist 🙂 Godspeed and all the very best to the LCA Navy team, led by Commodore (Retd) C.D. Balaji.
Just saw 3 Aircrafts takeoff!!
2 LCAs with carriages open and Hawk!
Badhai Ho!!
Lsp7, Ins Chakra, Agni V, Ritsat-1 and now LCA Navy.. its too good a month for drdo
BRAVO SHIV!!
we would love to hear the sound as well…probably in MP3..:_)
Jai Bharat
whats the configuration? STOBAR?
i just hooked to net for this
My Office is close to HAL. Saw two Tejas roared into the sky, just 15-20 minutes back. Were quite high above, so could not identify anything specific to Naval version, but could sense that it might the first test flight of Tejas-Naval.
Congratulations to all personnel, involved.
NP1 Landed
Proud moment for all Indians! Kudos to the LCA team. Bravi!
WOW, proud moment indeed…
Congos DRDO…Best of luck with LCA-Navy program…:)
Shiv you really believe Balaji team built the NLCA ?
Godspeed ,Godspeed go go nlca
I think our agencies have taken the warning of Armageddon(End of the world) on 21st December 2012, very seriously that is why they are in haste of achieving all milestones ASAP before it. KUDOS
Next target "NIRBHAY"
Wow! Grand and proud. But waiting for official information.
Great News !! Congtaz to everyone involved in making LCA Navy fly…
@ Shiv: Please do make positive reporting. In this day of first flight also you are focusing on the delays etc.
lsp7, Ins Chakra, Agni V, Ritsat-1 commissioning of INS Tez now LCA Navy.. its just too great month for indian defence . lots more to come as the whole of agni series testing is in the pipeline next month.followed by nirbhay cruse missile…n many more
before 2014 elections, more such commissioning of defence equipments will occur.
Heartiest congratulations to ADA/HAL! My humble advise to HAL is that they should involve heavily private companies like Taneja, Mahindra, Tatas etc in production process instead of doing it on their own at bureaucratic snail's pace.