The first squadron of the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft would be raised within a year, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Monday.
“The first squadron of Tejas is to be raised either late this year or early next year. The production capacity at the HAL would also be doubled to produce 16 aircraft in a year,” Parrikar said here on the sidelines of the Def Expo here.
Last year, IAF said it was ready to take about 120 Tejas in the present configuration with some improvements in the radar, missile, refuelling and electronic warfare system.
“We will induct them in the present shape in large number and not insisting on the Mark-II version,” IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha stated.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Aeronautical Development Agency prepared a road map on the shortcomings that would be addressed in a time-bound manner.
The first set of 4-6 LCA is now expected to be ready by 2016-end to raise the first Tejas squadron.
The aircraft’s strike abilities, however, came under question when a laser-guided bomb it fired during the Iron Fist exercise didnt hit the target. But IAF officials said it was the fault of the bomb kit and not the aircraft.
IAF officials mentioned that Tejas was superior to China-made JF-17 aircraft, which will be used by the Pakistani Air Force.
IAF has the government’s sanction to raise 42 fighter squadrons by 2027. But on paper, it has 33 squads, almost 10 squadrons of which are outdated MiGs that are to be phased out.
DH News Service