The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, during its new outstation trails, operated successfully by carrying and releasing ‘long range beyond visual range weapons’.
Images released by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) for the design and development of the LCA programme showed the Tejas carrying the weaponry.
“Tejas carries long range beyond visual range weapons, with highly agile high off-bore-sight missiles to tackle any close combat threat. A wide variety of air-to-ground munitions and an extremely accurate navigation and attack system allow it to prosecute surface targets over land or at sea, giving the Tejas true multi/swing role capability,”stated the ADA.
Recently, defence minister AK Antony had asked the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the ADA to strictly adhere to the planned schedules for Initial Operational Clearance (IOC-2) of the LCA by end of 2013 and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) by end of 2014 to ensure the aircraft’s timely induction in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The LCA programme has been in development mode for more than two decades and the aircraft, which has since 2004 completed 2,278 test flights, is yet to attain clearance to be inducted into the IAF. Two years ago, the LCA programme was to be given an IOC, signalling that it has crossed the first hurdle to join the IAF. But it was only granted partial clearance (IOC-1). At an IOC ceremony on January 10, 2011, in Bangalore, the then chief of air staff, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, expressed his displeasure over the aircraft, stating that it was only ‘partially complainant’ and that to meet the air force’s requirement, it would need several refinements. Hence an IOC-2 and FOC has been planned before its induction.
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