India's Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) is poised to receive an order for an initial production batch of 20 Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) plus 20 options for the Indian air force, says service chief of staff Air Marshal S P Tyagi. Announcing the expected deal during last week's Aero India 2005 air show in Bangalore, Tyagi underlined his service's continued commitment to the LCA project, which has suffered years of delay and technical difficulty. First deliveries to the Indian air force are expected in 2008-9, and Tyagi says the type will enter operational service between 2010-13.
Today, the ADA has three LCAs - two technology demonstrators and one prototype (PV1) - with the fleet having exceeded 360 flights totalling almost 200h. Launched last year, phase two development activities, including the integration and testing of the aircraft's air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-ship weapons, external tanks, multi-mode radar and open-architecture mission computer, will require a further 700-800 flight hours, says R K Ramanathan, the ADA's project director for technology development.
Test activities will be accelerated with the expansion of the current LCA fleet to seven aircraft by mid-2006. PV2 will make its flight debut before the end of this month, with the programme's third and fourth prototypes to follow by late 2005. The remaining prototype - an air force two-seat trainer - will make its first flight in March 2006.
Integration of the Gas Turbine Research Establishment Kaveri engine with PV1 will also commence in 2006, says Ramanathan, with the indigenously-powered aircraft to resume flight activities in 2007. India's first 20 production aircraft - and potentially also its 20 options - will be powered by General Electric F404 engines.
CRAIG HOYLE / BANGALORE
Source: Flight International
