State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, has handed over the first indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas twin-seater to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a ceremony held in Bangalore.
During the event, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari announced that the IAF intends to acquire an additional 97 LCAs, bringing the total to 220 in its inventory.
The indigenous LCA Tejas twin-seater was unveiled and handed over in the presence of Minister of State Ajay Bhatt, who highlighted, “The development of LCA Tejas signifies a shift in our approach to defence procurement. It has showcased India’s talent, knowledge, and capability to design, develop, and manufacture world-class fighters.” He also praised HAL for its contributions to indigenous defence manufacturing.
C B Ananthakrishnan, CMD (Addl. Charge) of HAL, affirmed the company’s commitment to delivering all twin-seater aircraft related to the IOC and FOC contract to the IAF within the current financial year. He highlighted that these trainers facilitate a seamless transition for pilots from trainer to fighter aircraft.
Several dignitaries attended the ceremony, including Girish S Deodhare, Director General, ADA, Mr. A P V S Prasad, CE (A), CEMILAC, and officials from IAF, MoD, DGAQA, DRDO, HAL, and production partners. The Release to Service Document (RSD) and the Signalling out Certificate (SOC) were also presented during the event.
About the LCA Tejas twin-seater:
According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD0, the LCA Tejas Twin Seater is a lightweight, all-weather multi-role 4.5th generation aircraft designed to fulfil the training needs of the IAF and can be deployed as a fighter when required.
It incorporates modern concepts and technologies such as relaxed static-stability, quadraplex fly-by-wire flight control, advanced glass cockpit, integrated digital avionics systems, and advanced composite materials for the airframe.
The production of the LCA twin-seater variant places India among a select group of countries with such a capability operational in their Defence Forces, aligning with the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative of the government.
Background:
On Tuesday, at the annual press conference ahead of the Air Force Day on Oct 8, ACM VR Chaudhari said that the IAF plans to procure an additional 97 Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1A.
This decision is part of the ongoing modernization efforts aimed at enhancing the IAF’s operational capabilities and maintaining a decisive edge in the evolving regional scenario.
The IAF had previously ordered 83 LCA Tejas Mk1A in 2021, with delivery expected in January 2024, although there might be a slight delay in the delivery timeline.