The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Tejas) Limited Series Production (LSP) 3 aircraft took off for the first time today. This is the ninth test vehicle to join the flight line to undertake development flight trials of the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas towards operational clearance for induction in the IAF by the end of the year. The LSP-3 is a quantum jump in terms of the equipment fit on the aircraft. It is almost the final configuration including the new air-data computers, Israeli Elta multimode radar, new communication and navigation equipment and radar warning receiver. With this successful flight, the LCA programme is very close to Initial Operations Clearance (IOC), to be achieved by December. The remaining effort is mostly flight testing and demonstration of sensors and weapon performance.
The test aircraft was flown by Wg Cdr G Thomas, VM of the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) at ADA. As per procedure the first flight was accompanied by a chase aircraft which was a Tejas Trainer flown by Gp Capt RR Tyagi, the Chief Test Pilot and Wg Cdr (Retd) PK Raveendran SC, the Group Director (Flight Test). The test flight was conducted from the Telemetry station by the Test Director, Wg Cdr S Toffeen, under the supervision of Air Cmde Rohit Varma VM, the Project Director (Flight Test). The flight took off from HAL airport in Bangalore and all the objectives of the flight were met within the duration of 52 minutes.
With this flight the total number of test flights accumulated across nine test vehicles of the Tejas programme has reached one thousand three hundred and fifty and has logged about 800 hrs of flight.
Text Abridged From DRDO Statement
Photos Courtesy DRDO
One more Tejas LSP taking to the sky, wow what a facinating sight to see full production model taking to the sky. It will surely going to heighten prospects of speedy delivery of LSP's to IAF to commence it operation and bring Tejas into an operational form.
I must say that, it is an exact copy of Mirage-2000 which is not a bad choice.
Let Tejas break lose it silence and shake enemies with is roaring sound.
Shiv,
There were speculations about the Multi Mode Radar, that its Indian in LSP-3
Makes one feel proud .
A few observations :
– With Elta MMR from IAI Israel , will DRDO abort its effort to develop an indigineous MMR
-Russia also offered Radar TECHNOLOGY , if accepted there would have been commonality with either MIG series or with SU30MKI RADARS
– DRDO should try to explore other application of LCA Tejas . Recently not happy with BAE Hawk AJT , IAF had sent enquiry for AJT TO different manufacturers. All the AJT'S have a specification similar (more than 90%)to Tejas . Why not a future Indian AJT on the Tejas platform .
– Gripen participating in MMRCA tender has a specification similar(more than 98%)to Tejas . Instead of procuring Gripen at a higher price per unit , will it not be prudent to wait a bit and induct Tejas at a much lower per unit cost. Why kill a desi product prematurely
Do any of the Tejas shows refuelling probe?
Does it really have air-to-air refueling system?
Shiv, can you or anyone else confirm if the radar has been fully integrated (all modules) and mated with the other systems and basicaly is live on the LSP-3, Indians across the globe have been eagerly awaiting the news and need confirmations
Tnkx
@ Anonymous(07:21)
'I must say that, it is an exact copy of Mirage-2000 which is not a bad choice. '
Are you blind? Is every A/C with composite delta wing and single engine look like a Mirage to you?
1. M2000 is a low wing root configuration, Tejas is high wing.
2. The whole fuselage shape and wing shape is different.
3. Hell the whole aircraft design is just different! Can't you see?
@ Anonymous(07:21)
'I must say that, it is an exact copy of Mirage-2000 which is not a bad choice. '
Are you blind? Is every A/C with composite delta wing and single engine look like a Mirage to you?
1. M2000 is a low wing root configuration, Tejas is high wing.
2. The whole fuselage shape and wing shape is different.
3. Hell the whole aircraft design is just different! Can't you see?
I honestly wonder why the testing and proving of the LCA was so abnormally and painfully slow.
first flew in 2001.
IOC by Dec 2009.
FOC- nowhere in sight.
9 bloody years of tests to achieve IOC? Surely this can't be because of sanctions as their were none and there were no design changes during the test course. Heck we had the aircraft ready all this while.
Compare this to another program elsewhere. No one takes much more than 4 years or something.
Why?
Parth @ 1:34
As suggested, comparisons made
LCA TD1 first flight Jan 2001
Expected IOC 2011
10 years
Eurofighter – EAP first flight (analogous to TD1) – 06 Aug 1986
First Eurofighter in service in the Luftwaffe – 4 Aug 2003
17 years.
This from a consortium of highly experienced aircraft manufacturers.
Gripen
First Flight 1988
Entered service in the Swedish Air Force 1997
9 years.
Rafale A (TD) first flight 1986
"Entered service" 04 Dec 2000 (actual sqn formation 18 May 2001)
14 years
Very Experienced aircraft manufacturer
Not sure who the "4 years or something" refers to in your blog.
Yes, we have delays, but we have many more challenges than the other guys. IMHO, not as bad a situation as you make out, sir.
that pilot in the last photo was former su-30mki pilot from lightening squadran pune and he was also the group leader of the team that took part in red flag-2008
check out bharat-rakshak red flag photos
Excellent news. Now IAF must order more than 100 of LCA mark 1 instead of restricting them to just 1 squadron.
A slap in the face of LCA critics !!
Rebuttal of Comment like Tejas is a highly delayed project . No it is not . These people will later say that instead of Tejas some other aircraft needs to be inducted .
There will be enough hawks who will try everything to destroy and stop the development of indigineous arms and weapons industry . Compare the the development of GRIPEN in Sweden and JF-1O in China . They have reposed faith in their homegrown defense industry .
But in India there are cartels to kill the indigineous defense industries. That is why these people do not have the courage to reveal their identity but paste comments on different blogs under the guise of being "anonymous"
Tejas is a technologically matured platform and Indian defense forces should support it in every possible way .
It seems the Arjun saga will be repeated.
There should be legislation to penalize these hawks from issuing such unpatiotic and irresponsible statements. They look like agents of the participants of MMRCA TENDER.
Jai Hind
Let HAL make up some of the delay in the LCA program by establishing the manufacturing facility quickly.
Please inform us the indigenous content of the present Tejas. It has to be totally indigenously manufactured aircraft for security reasons.
What is the status of naval LCA and LCA Mark II. Is the specifications of LCA Mark II finalised. A few Trainer version of the LCA needs to be manufactured immediately for handing over to IAF and Navy.
Congrats to TEJAS team.
P.K.Chaudhuri.
Bravo to the tejas team!
great work guys, i was just waiting for this machine, finally here, now let's get the assly rolling, first the trainer batch and then the 20 aircraft after the assly line retooling !! go for it.
for the nay-sayers: just shutup and stop the bakwas, pay your taxes on time and dont evade them, stop shitting around, its better to spend money on self made projects than pouring money to other nations, you are either not Indians or maybe ur pakistani or chinese, just kill the crap, go home and sleep if u cant comment positively.
I am not a naysayer – Mr. American Lincoln. But I will speak and you will not be able to stop me. Do you understand, and if you think you can slap me – you will get a punch in your moronic face.
The Tejas is not a sound fighter aircraft and it is outdated in many respects. The fact is neither is JF-17. These are aircrafts that are light years behind contemporary aircrafts in the world. The specifications sound similar to other fighter jets but the performance is not similar. We read many comments that Tejas is equivalent to Eurofighter, Gripen, etc…Please do not amuse yourself with our supreme national interest – defending our borders. Tejas does serve an excellent purpose in being a complement to well established air force. I have read the specifications of Tejas and other fighter jets – and you are risking precious human lives if Tejas comes across a F-16? Am I right? Do we throw away the Tejas? No! We must replace all our MIG 21/27/Mirage with ultimately the following mix MIG 35/SU30MKI/SU35/PAKFA. The LCA and MCA fighter jets will complement the fleet.
The inspiring thing about the jokers in this blog is that they are losers. They have no technical knowledge, no genius but O YES! they have filthy mouths that spew venom. There is a clown from DRDO
who readily compares the 9 years of a European fighter development to Tejas. That fighter is being recognized the world over as a superior jet. Ours has not even seen daylight.
Tejas is not ready yet and the readers should demonstrate maturity instead of wildly abusing everyone who is not passionate about Tejas as them.
These are the same swingers who got caught denigrating the ARJUN TANK. LOL!
They want to come out winners now! Good Luck! Tejas will get you thumped – nay – crushed. You probably want that – Paki/Chini/
@all
tejas is not a complete indegenious aircraft, except for f16 f18 and the russians none are even russians are now using french n Israeli tech in their products, us is also test advance elta on f16 as its results are better than us aesa , not to forget the best diesel sub in terms of detection is a swedish one and usa leased it for themselves for 10 yrs, the concept is now to use best available tech to make and achieve the best specs , for the freakshow who says f16 can kill a tejas, dude in red flag a f16 cud not even detect a mig 21 the jammers were more advance than american radars, thus scrap the crap , n shove it up………
long lives cobras
With attitudes like some of the posters,no wonder few of the indigenously produced products ever gets inducted.Aerospace engineering is a tough field,encompassing many disciplines.Until we actually encourage these activities, we will end up importing everything.Then again, if its deesi its must be bad. Typical SDRE mentality
Anonymous 3:23 PM; well said!!!
The reality boys is that LCA is too old for the current times, never mind in 2014/5, when it is really likely to be ready for operational service. Most of the critical components are not even made in india. I have also been reading that the JF-17 is getting WS-13 engine with TVC…yes it is being tested on as we speak. Can you imagine what JF-17 will be in 2015?
The point i am trying to get accross is not where the fighter is made, but what capabilities it brings to the table and when.