<p> Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said full-scale production of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will begin by next year and that other countries have shown interest in the plane.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"As per my primary report, it is appreciated by other countries who are interested... By next year, we are starting full-scale production," he told reporters at the NCC Republic Day camp here.<br /><br />Tejas, which had been in the making for over 3 decades, is taking part in the ongoing Bahrain International Airshow as the country hopes to explore potential export opportunities.<br /><br />It is a single-engine, light-weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter plane. Tejas is a 4.5 generation aircraft with supersonic capability at all altitudes.<br /><br />Indian Air Force plans to acquire 120 Tejas aircraft, with 100 of them having some major modifications. It wants better radar, new electronic warfare suit, refueling capacity and improved missiles.<br /><br />The training of IAF pilots on LCA has already commenced.<br />Though DRDO has developed a naval version of Tejas, the navy is seeking a more powerful engine, besides other changes.<br /><br />As per the production plan, six aircraft will be made this year (2015-16) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will subsequently scale it up to eight and 16 aircraft per year.<br /><br />It is estimated that 20 aircraft will be built by 2017- 2018, to make the first squadron of the aircraft.<br /><br />The LCA programme was initiated in 1983 to replace the ageing MiG-21s planes in IAF's combat fleet but has missed several deadlines due to various reasons.<br /><br />As India aims to market Tejas, it will face competition from Pakistan's JF 17, built in collaboration with China.<br /><br />The aircraft has already been placed in the open market and it was speculated that one of the Asian countries had evinced interest in the aircraft.<br /><br />However, Sri Lanka had recently denied reports that it had evinced interest in the Pakistani plane. PTI PR SAP SC 01211512<br /><br /></p>
<p> Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said full-scale production of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will begin by next year and that other countries have shown interest in the plane.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"As per my primary report, it is appreciated by other countries who are interested... By next year, we are starting full-scale production," he told reporters at the NCC Republic Day camp here.<br /><br />Tejas, which had been in the making for over 3 decades, is taking part in the ongoing Bahrain International Airshow as the country hopes to explore potential export opportunities.<br /><br />It is a single-engine, light-weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter plane. Tejas is a 4.5 generation aircraft with supersonic capability at all altitudes.<br /><br />Indian Air Force plans to acquire 120 Tejas aircraft, with 100 of them having some major modifications. It wants better radar, new electronic warfare suit, refueling capacity and improved missiles.<br /><br />The training of IAF pilots on LCA has already commenced.<br />Though DRDO has developed a naval version of Tejas, the navy is seeking a more powerful engine, besides other changes.<br /><br />As per the production plan, six aircraft will be made this year (2015-16) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will subsequently scale it up to eight and 16 aircraft per year.<br /><br />It is estimated that 20 aircraft will be built by 2017- 2018, to make the first squadron of the aircraft.<br /><br />The LCA programme was initiated in 1983 to replace the ageing MiG-21s planes in IAF's combat fleet but has missed several deadlines due to various reasons.<br /><br />As India aims to market Tejas, it will face competition from Pakistan's JF 17, built in collaboration with China.<br /><br />The aircraft has already been placed in the open market and it was speculated that one of the Asian countries had evinced interest in the aircraft.<br /><br />However, Sri Lanka had recently denied reports that it had evinced interest in the Pakistani plane. PTI PR SAP SC 01211512<br /><br /></p>