The Indian Air Force (IAF) finally inducted Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) ‘Tejas’ Mk I — the first two Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) designed, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) manufactured, multirole, single-engine, tail-less delta — into No. 45 Squadron, the ‘Flying Daggers’, on Friday. IAF personnel have been working closely with ADA and HAL for a few years trying to hasten the LCA induction. The Squadron will operate at Bengaluru for the initial two years at IAF’s Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) which is located close to HAL. This is traditionally done to resolve many teething technical and logistical problems that need to be addressed in the initial two years. Subsequently, the Squadron will move to Sulur, near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, where infrastructure has already been built.

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On May 17, Air Chief Arup Raha had flown a symbolic sortie to give confidence to the nation that the aircraft was actually ready for induction. Normally the squadron is always formed with at least six aircraft but, unfortunately, such numbers will be available only by March 2017, indicating production delays. Eight more aircraft will join the squadron in the next financial year. The full squadron compliment of the planned 20 aircrafts will come in only by the end of 2018. With two more MiG 21 squadrons winding down next year, replacements by LCA would need to be stepped up.

The first 20 aircrafts will be LCA Mk I in Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) status with limited operational ability. Mk I can drop most gravity bombs, a few Precision Guided Munitions, and fire close combat missiles. Full external weapons capability is 3,000 kg. The next 80 aircrafts (LCA Mk IA) to be delivered over the next 8 years will be in Final Operational Clearance (FOC) with capability for full operational missions. Both these variants will not meet the full specifications that IAF had originally sought over 30 years back in 1985. The same may be met by LCA Mk II with the new more powerful GE F-414 engine. This variant will join IAF around 2022. LCA Mk II will have more modern avionics and weapons, including the AESA radar, integrated EW suite and advanced beyond visual range (BVR) missiles.Tejas Mk II will be one metre longer. Rs 2,432 crore have been sanctioned to develop Tejas Mk II. LCA currently costs around Rs 200 crore. The final variant will cost in excess of Rs 300 crore. IAF requires 200 single-seat and 20 twin-seat aircraft to replace its ageing MiG 21s, and Indian Navy requires 40 to replace Harriers. Having first flown in January 2001, induction in July 2016 has been a long, painfully slow journey.

A few unique features of the LCA include extensive use of carbon-fibre composites, modern glass cockpit architecture and great handling qualities as per test pilots. LCA Navy successfully conducted ski-jump trials at Goa. The areas of real challenge are the turbofan engine, and the pulse-doppler radar, both of which are imported. The indigenous electronic warfare suit will also take a few years to develop. DRDO’s Kaveri jet engine program was launched in 1986 but had hit a dead end by 2008 and was officially given the burial in 2014. High-speed powerful control actuators still come from abroad though work is in progress in India.

Launching the LCA was a major technological jump for India and some amount of teething delays were expected. The original Service Qualification Requirements (SQR) in a few cases had to be diluted or changed by IAF to accommodate delays and lack of indigenous capability. Pending activities for FOC include integration of BVR missiles; GSh-23 gun integration; the increase in angle of attack from 24 to 28 degrees and few other flight tests. LCA also suffered delays because of embargoes after India’s 1998 Nuclear Tests. Kaveri engine and the Radar development also delayed the program.

LCA has been a fine aircraft that was hostage to a series of systemic shortcomings which hopefully gave significant lessons to the Indian aviation industry. The two design agencies ADA and HAL had their own organisational dynamics. While the designers concentrated on getting the technology airborne, the necessities of turning the aircraft into a maintainable, deployable weapon platform with attendant flight and maintenance documentation and manuals need fixation of responsibility. A representative flight simulator is also important in the absence of certified trainer variant.

Currently, IAF is at 34 vis-a-vis the authorised 42 combat squadron strength. IAF’s depleting combat squadrons, and in turn security implications, have repeatedly come up for discussion in the Indian parliament. IAF has been forced to extend the MiG 21 fleet, which is mired in depleting spares, at the cost of national security and flight safety. Delays in the decision on the Rafale deal and the slow production rate of LCA will keep compounding the problem. The saving grace is the steady induction of the final 272 SU-30 MKIs. In view of close military relations between China and Pakistan — India has serious boundary disputes with both — the country actually needs around 50 squadrons to be able to fight wars on two fronts. The success of LCA is of great importance for the nation and for driving the ‘Make in India’ effort. IAF still waits with fingers crossed.