IAF move to place orders for LCA will give boost to industry: DRDO chief Reddy

The move by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to place orders for 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will help boost the scientific community in the country's aeronautical sector and the industry, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief G Satheesh Reddy said on Monday.

The IAF is expected to place orders worth around Rs 45,000 crore with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to acquire 83 Tejas fighters.

"It is a great boost to the aeronautical sector of the country. The LCA has been developed by DRDO. It is a complete indigenous technology. The LCA went through operational clearance and then it got final clearance in February this year," Reddy told ANI.

"Now getting at one go orders for 83 LCAs from the IAF is a boost to the scientific community in the aeronautical sector and also to industry. This gives confidence to aeronautical engineers, scientists to develop aircraft which the IAF requires," he said.

The IAF had issued a tender for 83 LCAs about two years ago and the project was stuck over the pricing issue as the government and the Air Force felt that the price offered by the HAL was slightly higher.

Reddy said that the LCA Mark 2, which is being developed now, will also be inducted into the IAF.

"The LCA Mark 2 is about four-and-a-half generation aircraft which is close to the fifth generation. The aircraft has been completely redesigned with many features incorporated. Capabilities have also been built-in based on the knowledge acquired from the Mark 1. The Mark 2 will be a good fighter aircraft for the IAF," he noted.

Reddy said the "Akash" air defence missile is among the systems which have been acquired by the Indian Army and the Air Force.

"A number of industries have been supplying various systems and components to this programme. The defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) have been the lead integrator of the Akash system. A large number of orders which we received from the Indian armed forces have been already produced and handed over. Industries have flourished due to this. Indian industries are now established to manufacture large numbers of missile systems in the country," he said.

Reddy stressed the present order of Rs 5,000 crore for Akash will give a boost to the industry and the production lines will be utilised.

The DRDO has also received orders worth close to about Rs 25,000 crore from the Indian armed forces, he said, adding, "We are expecting more orders."

Reddy noted that many countries have shown interest in purchasing equipment like the LCA.

"The country is gaining momentum towards exporting many of the defence systems. The world is observing that India is developing state-of-the-art defence systems...In a few years, we should be able to export a lot of defence equipment," he said.

The DRDO chief described as a "great success" the artillery gun developed by India.

"The long-range gun has been designed and developed by the DRDO along with private industries. So, India now stands tall in having developed that gun. A number of trials have been conducted and trials are still on...In the coming years, the system will get inducted giving a boost to the Army," he added.

On Pakistan's "successful" test of 290-km range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, Reddy said the neighbouring country may have conducted a routine test.

"Probably, Pakistan did a routine test. I am not very sure about it. I don't think it is very significant... Indian missile capabilities are very strong. A number of missiles have been developed indigenously. Prithivi and Agni series are being developed. We are self-reliant in areas of missile systems," he added.