HAL Tejas | Updates, News & Discussions

[bloo]

LCA to miss December 2014 FOC deadline
Published August 23, 2014 | By admin
SOURCE: SP Guide Publications

In yet another slippage, the LCA Tejas is all set to miss its December 2014 deadline for final operational clearance (FOC), and will instead achieve the milestone closer to June next year according to top sources on the programme. Delivery of series production aircraft, to have commenced by December last year, has been pushed from July 2014 to at least October 2014, with HAL struggling to compress delivery schedules.

An exasperated Indian Air Force has sent out a strong message that the LCA Mk.1 will see operational service as nothing more than an lead-in trainer, and that ADA needs to focus on delivering the LCA Mk.2, powered by the GE-F414 turbofan engine. Top sources say that test points running into over 1,200 for single engine performance are yet to be notched up by the team at the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) and mandatory for the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification to accord final documents.

A handover deadline of June 2015 is likely be set for final delivery of the Mk.1 platform and first lot of squadron-ready aircraft. According to a recent HAL statement, the business partners who work on the Light Combat Aircraft have resolved to ensure the indigenous content of components used in the aircraft touches 80 percent in next three years. DRDO chief Dr. AvinashChander said, “It is possible to achieve such a goal since 165 out of 344 Line Replacement Units (LRUs) are already made in India. The LCA dream has been achieved in-spite of denial of technology.

It is clear that we have capability and the government will do everything possible to strengthen the knowledge base. Even funding can be provided and national facilities (such as testing) may be shared with private players to bring down costs to create a vibrant aerospace eco-system.”

 

[Anony]

@Sergi

Ok, here are my top 3 questions!

1) If IN admits that N-LCA is just a medicore fighter, that won't be very capable and if IAF basically has no requirement for an AMCA, why do we waste time and money on these developments? Why not LCA only for IAF and AMCA only for IN, where each fighter offers the most benefit?

2) If the indigenous AESA is not ready in time till the first LCA MK2 will be produced, why not take the AESA of the MMRCA and benefit from commonality, instead making LCA MK2 suffer from using inferior technology?

3) Why not take advantage of the Maitri SAM development, to use the missile as a WVR missile to replace R73 missiles from LCA and all Russian fighters? Minimum changes, further applications => lower unit cost and more independence from imported missiles!

Because one half is your assumption and the other half is your unfavourable resistance towards Tejas.

Indian Navy never said that N-LCA is not required, they said 8 N-LCA mk1 for training and 46 N-LCA mk2 for combat role. IAF will find big requirement of AMCA if for once they look up from this shitty MMRCA chapter and visualize the threat perception post 2025, they will understand they don't need this MMRCA deal. Original MMRCA was for 126 Mirage 2000 of decade old era and now Tejas mk1 itself has gone a step ahead of upgraded Mirage 2000 of today's tech, then there basically remains no need of this stupid MMRCA, which just a waste of Taxpayers money.

There is no mission parameters that Rafale can perform which other fighters of IAF can't or will not.

Even the superiority of tech in Rafale is a big question, as it is just claimed by Dassault, never put into practical use against any potential adversaries.

On time? Depends on how fast they will get a propper MK2 prototype and the engine integrated. Relevent in operational terms in our forces no, since they always were only considered to be the low end. But in the time when the MK2 will arrive, most of the possible roles of an LCA will be taken over by drones, leaving only air policing roles. For many export customers, a light 4.5th generation fighter, that is cost-effective and includes proven western engines would be a good choice though, but the mix of US engines and Israeli avionics or weapons will pose export limitations.
But above operational importance and export chances, it remains to be the most important development of our aero sector, since it sets the base for any future development. Be it for materials, coatings, avionics and EW, where we already gained some good knowledge, or in fighter design, radar and engine developments, where we still have a lot to learn. Everything is dependent on it and not only finishing LCA but keep further improving is a must!

Tejas will keep getting delayed till the time this MMRCA circus is on. Tejas being better than upgraded Mirage 2000 is accepted by ex-pilot of IAF. Even then if it is not being inducted, then something fishy is going on within IAF and not in the Tejas capability.

rafale is in active service while mk2 is on paper,,(not even mk1 in service yet)
no comparison

So by that logic we should induct more Mig 29 than thinking about FGFA, as the former is a proven aircraft and in service since last 4 decade.

 

[amygdaloideum]

So by that logic we should induct more Mig 29 than thinking about FGFA, as the former is a proven aircraft and in service since last 4 decade.

that will not be my logic,,,i wud rather listen what our own airchiefs had to say about the whole project
mk1 is in production,,DRDO/HAL/ADA job well done,,,
but let us be done with this lca saga,,,pick up what we learned through it and start afresh,hopefully in a JV with other like minded nation

 

[rockstarIN]

Can't we dilute the testing points aka standards lower? Even USN said we are 5 times more than cautious while flight testing,they did not keep such 'testing' standards as we consulted them for IN LCA. So why so much high standards by NTFC?

 

[gslv mk3]

Even USN said we are 5 times more than cautious while flight testing,they did not keep such 'testing' standards as we consulted them for IN LCA.

Links bro ?

 

[rockstarIN]

Links bro ?

Naval LCA set for carrier compatibility tests - The Times of India

A senior ADA official said a US Navy Carrier Suitability Test Team will audit the test findings and its experience in developing and maintaining carrier-borne aircraft will be useful.

 

[nomi007]

which is the major issue still tejas have
due to which it still in testing phase from 2 decade

 

[ni8mare]

New, good clip. The production line looks good.

can anybody translate plz

 

[sancho]

whats the point in developing something irrelevant?
just for the sake of pride ?!!
why not pick up the positives from MK1 and start on something new as most air chiefs suggested.

To make up numbers in the fleet, that's what a light class fighter is meant for. It never should be the most capable, nor very important for the force, but a cost-effective addition that can be inducted in higher numbers. LCAs problem are the delays, that's why the initial planned numbers won't be reality anymore and partially taken over by MMRCA. But even the 6 squads that are on order will be somewhat useful at the low end of the fleet. We can't stop the project here, because too little was achieved so far and we already move on with the FGFA project. So we need to finish LCA, keep fixing issues and learn from the mistakes we made, since that is the real value of the LCA project.

Indian Navy never said that N-LCA is not required

No, they said it's not capable, but it's Indian and the latter is not enough to justify a multi million dollar development and procurement.

Original MMRCA was for 126 Mirage 2000 of decade old era and now Tejas mk1 itself has gone a step ahead of upgraded Mirage 2000 of today's tech

Not really, LCA MK1 is technically at the same 4th generation base as the upgraded Mirage 2000-5s, but operationally less capable, because it lacks the flight performance of the Mirage, nor can it carry as many AAMs and will have the inferior weapon pack too. So LCA MK1 today, doesn't provide IAF with capability and performance, they required in the early 2000s from MRCA, while they today want far more capable M-MRCAs to take on the threat perception of the next 3 decades.

 

[Nova2]

can anybody translate plz

@danger007 bro translate kar de yar

 

[danger007]

@danger007 bro translate kar de yar

No probs.. in short they are saying, Tejas is ready for final trials.... and sort of media hype..... about the jet like more advanced, nightmare to enemies stuff...

 

[sancho]

Can't we dilute the testing points aka standards lower? Even USN said we are 5 times more than cautious while flight testing,they did not keep such 'testing' standards as we consulted them for IN LCA. So why so much high standards by NTFC?

On the one had lack of experience, even IN complained about the design flaws of N-LCA since ADA/DRDO had developed it too "secure" by over designing the gear for example, simply by the fact that we don't know it better. Airbus is helping now, even if they hardly have experience in navalising as well, but at least they have far more knowledge in design and development of fighters, which helps of course.
On the other hand, the maybe overprotective approach might also be aimed on not risking a crash and the track record of LCA is good so far.

 

[Nova2]

No probs.. in short they are saying, Tejas is ready for final trials.... and sort of media hype..... about the jet like more advanced, nightmare to enemies stuff...

thanks,typical desi media always high on something

 

[trident2010]

Can't wait to see it inducted in IAF.

 

[Peaceful Civilian]

Once Tejas mark II enters into production, It will beat jf17 block II. With Powerful engine of U.S.A, Israeli electronics and western mix, it will become potent fighter.