The LCA (Navy) is the first indigenous effort to build a complete air element for the Indian Navy. The aircraft is specifically designed for ski jump take off and arrested landing, with high landing loads compared to its airforce counterpart.
ADA, Bangalore, is responsible for the design, development, build, ground test and flight test of both the naval and air force versions of LCA.
PSU defence major HAL is the principal partner of ADA in this task, with the Indian Navy, Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) and Directorate General Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) playing an important role right from its inception. The LCA Navy version has even been nurtured by various agencies / organisations including DRDO, CSIR, PSUs, universities and private sector participants.
About 10 prototypes of the air force version of the LCA have already completed about 1,400 flights so far.
Published 05 July 2010, 18:54 IST