Almost 30 years after it was conceptualized, India’s indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) got the much awaited initial Operational Clearance (IOC II), paving the way for its induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF) squadrons.
The LCA , manufactured by the state-owned defense major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will now be called Tejas Mark I. It will be called Tejas Mark II after final operational clearance (FOC) slated for end of 2014.
IAF will have two squadrons of Tejas Mark I and four squadrons of Tejas Mark II and the combat aircraft will replace the ageing MiG fleet of IAF. For the next 12 to 15 months, the IAF will integrate the new aircraft into the force. Tejas is expected to be battle ready by the end of 2015.
“HAL is fully geared up to meet the challenging production schedule and hopes to fulfill the requirements of customers in a time bound manner,” says Dr. R.K. Tyagi, Chairman of HAL.
It is expected to cost about 2 billion rupees ($32 million) per aircraft initially, with the cost coming down as production increases. The ministry of defense plans the induction of 160 Tejas, which include 120 for the IAF and the remaining 40 for the navy at a cost of 320 billion rupees.
The production facilities have been established at HAL and the aircraft delivery is expected to commence from 2014. The first Tejas is expected to be delivered to IAF in June 2014 and the second in October the same year.
“We have plans to initially produce eight aircraft per year. Further plans are afoot to enhance the production rate to 16 aircraft per year in consultation with IAF and the ministry of defense,” Tyagi says.
To facilitate serial production, HAL has already established the structural assembly hangar and the assembly jigs have been calibrated with state of the Laser Trackers to an accuracy of 80 microns (0.08 mm) to meet stringent quality standards. A state of the art CNC drilling machine has been installed to ensure repeatability and reduce the cycle time.
The making of the future frontline fighter aircraft was fraught with several delays and huge cost over-runs. According to estimates, India has spent over 200 billion rupees to develop the aircraft.
Defense Minister A. K. Antony, who had shared his anxieties regarding the future of LCA when he had taken over in 2006, handed over the Release to Service Certificate of Tejas, to the Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne on Dec. 20.
“Today we are putting behind the moments of self -doubt, frustrations and setbacks which we as a nation have gone through in the last 30 years,” the minister says candidly.
HAL carried-out around 500 sorties of LCA in the year 2013 which is the highest for any particular year right from the start of the program. The previous highest was 280 sorties in the year 2009. Outstation flight trials were carried out at Leh, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, Uttaralai Gwalior, Pathankot and Goa for cold weather, armament and weapon deliveries, multimode radar, radar warning receiver, hot weather and missile firing flight trials in 2013.
Recently, the aircraft proved its total weapons system capability with its missile successfully hitting the target in the first shot.
“The improvements to the aircraft have enhanced the flight envelope of the aircraft and also weapon delivery capability of the aircraft. There have also been occasions when the same aircraft has flown thrice on the same day, indicating the operational reliability of this home-bred fighter aircraft, “
says Antony.
Till date, more than 2450 sorties have been completed by the aircraft to achieve the flight test goals towards IOC-2.
“The Tejas Mark-I fighter, however, will be ready to go to battle only in
2015 once it gets the final operational clearance (FOC), after integration of all weapons and other systems to ensure it can fire 23mm guns, rockets and BVR (beyond visual range) missiles as well as undergo air-to-air refueling. As of now, the Tejas can let loose only close-range R-73 air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground laser and unguided bombs,” says a defense ministry spokesman.
The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) of HAL will work on mid-air refueling and enabling the aircraft to carry long range beyond visual range missiles.
The IOC for Tejas also marked milestone in India’s long journey towards indigenization through self-reliance. “Our public and private sector must work in tandem to develop and produce world-class military systems of the highest quality,” the defense minister says.
The LCA is designed to ultimately replace the MiG 21 fleet of IAF. The timing of IOC- II for LCA coincides with the iconic MiG-21 FL fighter flying into IAF’s history earlier this month.
While Tejas seeks to mark India’s entry into the 10 ton aircraft story_category, it is also a technology demonstrator for the nation and has even showed the country’s resilience in standing up to the challenges of denial of technology, as was experienced when the United States had banned the supply of critical flight control equipment in the wake of the Pokharan nuclear tests, says Technology Director of ADA, V. Subbu Rao.
“Tejas, is the smallest, light weight, single engine, single seat, supersonic, multirole, combat aircraft and is one of the best in its class in the world. The entire design and concept is ours and the Mach 1 LCA is better than its contemporaries such as Mirage 2000, F-16 and Gripen,” Rao, who has been associated with the project for 26 years, claims.
Moreover, with not a single accident the aircraft has shown a high degree of durability, he adds.
Four variants of Tejas aircraft–Combat variant, Trainer and Naval
variants– are being developed for land and carrier borne operations.
The Initial Operational Clearance-1 (IOC-I) for Tejas was achieved on Jan.
10, 2011. In IOC-I, the aircraft had a few limitations in terms of combat performance, turn-around time and its weaponisation which had to be refined and improved through research and development process. In addition to this, wake penetration trials, all weather clearances were planned beyond IOC-1.
IOC-2 shall enable air force to carry out air superiority and offensive air support missions, forward air field operations, all weather multi role operations, electronic counter measures and night flying operations. Tejas is capable of flying non- stop to destinations over 1700 km away (Ferry Range). Its radius of action is up to 500 km depending upon the nature and duration of actual combat.
LCA is powered by the F404/IN20- turbofan engine, designed and manufactured by General Electric Aircraft Engines. The engine is modular in construction, consisting of six modules, ensuring easy maintenance. The F404-GE-IN20 is a low bypass turbofan engine, with augmented thrust provided by the afterburner. The Kaveri aero engine, sanctioned in 1989 at a cost of 28 billion rupees flopped miserably.
The aircraft is 65% indigenous and only the engine, ejection seat and radar are among the components that have been imported.
