There have been way too many last minute aborts for this to sound certain in any way, but the LCA Navy is scheduled to finally make its first flight tomorrow at 10AM in Bangalore. The team, led by Commodore (Retd) C.D. Balaji is ready to put the aircraft into the air.
Approximately 18 months behind schedule, the maritime fighter programme has been beset with technological hurdles that the team has toiled to overcome. In February, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the manufacture of eight limited series production (LSP) LCA Navy platforms for the Indian Navy. The Navy, which supported the programme financially and otherwise, recently sounded pretty irritated with the delays.
On this program, I think it would have been wise for the Navy not to opt for the LCA Navy version knowing fully that there would be huge delays, something that is part and parcel of the LCA program.
It's ok as a proof of concept, but I personally don't see these birds flying off a carrier in the next 10 years for full combat operational roles.
On the above comment, so what do you want, navy should go for some bulky and larger plane , when we already know that its not only light plane, LCA is small aircraft too which can perform all needed task for navy, best to fit on small aircraft carriers which our navy is going to handle . Why do we purchase from abroad when its gonging to be much much cheaper than any other Naval fighter aircraft around the world. And again we all know the fact that Navy has a very small share in defense expenditure pie. Yes there are delays and hiccups in project but every project needs time to get mature, it evolves by time. Belief is a very great factor, trust your agencies and more or less DRDO has proved it in AGNI-4 & 5. I hope tomorrow LCA naval version will fly and hope it will meet all parameters.
if naval tejas becomes active, who will feed the middlemen involved in sea gripen, sea typhoon, sea rafale, f18,etc.
In reply to Jaguar Tiger comments…Point well made and taken. I'm totally for the cost verses benefit, but where I see the project benefiting is, build on the proof of concept, but let not the Navy put it's combat prepareness of it's new carriers at risk by putting a plane that will definitey take, atleast 5 years, if not more, to make it to operational status on a carrier.
The naval version of the LCA will fly tomorrow and make India proud.
@jaguar tiger
love ur comment man….
The LCA Navy is not required to be ready soon so DRDO labs have time. LCA Navy is required mainly for IAC-I which will be ready by 2014/15. We already have Mig-29K planes for INS Vikramaditya (Gorshkov). So, let be patient and give the various labs more time for LCA Navy. Hope they can figure out the weight issues in the next year or so. The real problem maybe that LCA Navy need GE-414 engines and LCA Mark-II for more power. Hope DRDO labs can speed up and work in parallel with Air Force Mark-II program. Its important to keep keep trying and succeed on this to pave way for future projects