Tejas closer to induction into IAF

India's combat aircraft, Tejas, is poised to achieve the initial operational clearance on Friday

India’s indigenously designed and developed frontline fighter aircraft, light combat aircraft (LCA), also called the Tejas, is poised for a milestone on Friday, by achieving the initial operational clearance (IOC II) and get ready for induction into IAF squadrons. The aircraft is manufactured by the defence major, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

R K Tyagi, chairman, HAL, said, “The production facilities have been set up at HAL and the aircraft delivery is expected to commence from 2014. We have plans to initially produce eight aircraft a year. Further plans are afoot to enhance the production rate to 16 aircraft a year in consultation with IAF and the defence ministry. HAL is fully geared up to meet the challenging production schedule and hopes to fulfill the requirements of customers in a time-bound manner.”

Tejas is a single-engine, lightweight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter. It has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire flight control system with associated advanced flight control laws. Extensive use of advanced composites in the airframe gives a high strength to weight ratio, long fatigue life and low radar signatures. HAL carried out 500 sorties of the LCA in 2013, which is the highest for any particular year right from the start of the programme.

The previous highest was 280 sorties in 2009. Outstation flight trials were carried out at Leh, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, Uttarlai, Gwalior, Pathankot and Goa for cold weather, armament and weapon deliveries, multimode radar, radar warning receiver, hot weather and missile firing flight trials this year itself. Two aircraft have flown three sorties each on the same day during trials at Jamnagar during October-November 2013.  

After the IOC II, HAL will go ahead with the series production of the LCA Tejas. The company has already established the structural assembly hangar, according to a statement from HAL. A CNC drilling machine has been installed to ensure repeatability and reduce the cycle time. LCA had demonstrated weapon delivery capability during weapon trials at Jamnagar and Jaisalmer. LCA participated during Iron First 2013 and proved its mettle along with other platforms of IAF.

According to a release from the HAL, it has been working towards building infrastructure for production of the LCA. The LCA production group engaged in the production of Limited Series Production (LSP) aircraft during the last five years, functioned as an extended arm of the design and development team, with large scale modifications introduced into these LSP aircraft in terms of hardware, system improvements and software in a progressive manner according to concurrent development and production concept.  

With most of the aircraft system performance reaching desired levels, the HAL production group would concentrate on stabilising the production line. All hardware improvements and software modifications as a result of trials on LSP series aircraft are now being incorporated into series production aircraft.
   
The production line at HAL has been moved to new premises with a built-up area of 28,000 sq m of hangars, engineering and administrative blocks. Upgrade and augmentation of production tooling is underway to enhance the rate of production and to expedite delivery of aircraft for two IAF squadrons in the next four to five years.