The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme which has seen several delays since the project was conceived 27 years ago, has suffered another setback.
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme which has seen several delays since the project was conceived 27 years ago, has suffered another setback as Air Commodore Rohit Varma, project director of the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) which oversees all flight test-related activities of aircraft, quit his post on Friday.
Air Commodore Varma reportedly hung his boots after the Indian Air Force twice denied him promotion as the air vice-marshal.
His calling it quits is indisputably a setback for the programme which has entered the critical phase of attaining the final operational clearance following which the fourth generation aircraft would be inducted into the Air Force.
“Air Commodore Varma had played a crucial role in the LCA attaining the initial operational clearance in January this year. With a new man at the helm, there could a few teething troubles as the aircraft, after attaining FOC, is also scheduled to enter the squadron services by the year-end and then will become operational in a couple of years,” said sources involved in the project.
Set up in 1994, all flight test-related activities of LCA are planned, coordinated and carried out by Bangalore-based NFTC.
Further, the LCA project, with regard to flight testing, has not been meeting its deadlines.
Though 1,652 flights have been completed successfully, the Limited Series Production 7 and 8 aircraft which will eventually enter squadron service are yet to be flight tested. This apart, the first flight of the LCA’s naval version NP-1 too has been delayed.
Though Air Commodore Varma had announced his decision to quit a month back, Defence Research Development Organisation officials on Friday said they were neither aware of his resignation nor his replacement.
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