The Light Combat Aircraft programme

What is the LCA development project? What other fighter jet aircraft programmes are being envisaged?

According to the Chief Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), R Madhavan, HAL expects to deliver all Final Operational Clearance (FOC) variant aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2022 pending some systems from Israel, while the LCA-MK1A is expected to take flight in June this year. There is another 20 to 24 months of testing after which deliveries would begin with manufacturing activities going parallel to the testing.

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas was conceptualised in the year 1984. Since the first flight of the LCA technology demonstrator in January 2001, the indigenous single engine 4.5 generation multi-role fighter jet christened as ‘Tejas’ by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in May 2003, has come a long way both in terms of the maturity of the platform as well as the overall aircraft development programme despite repeated delays and cost overuns. In all, 123 LCA aircraft of various configurations are on order so far.