Tejas R&D cost exceeds Gripen's

[mshoaib61]

Tejas LCA project to cost more than Rs 13,000 crore over 35 years
TNN, Apr 16, 2010, 01.49am IST

NEW DELHI: The overall developmental cost of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has quietly zoomed past the Rs 13,000-crore mark, with the government sanctioning the extension of the fighter's "full-scale engineering development'' (FSED) till December 31, 2018.

This, in effect, means the Tejas developmental saga will now stretch across 35 years, sanctioned as the project was way back in 1983 at a cost of Rs 560 crore to replace the ageing MiG-21s.

Tejas, in fact, can now give the Arjun main-battle tank a run for its money
in terms of years taken for full development. The tank project, after all, was first approved 36 years ago.

It is, of course, critical for India to boost indigenous defence production, importing as it still does 70% of its military hardware and software, but this probably is not the way.

"This is a very sorry state of affairs. Even after 27 years since LCA was sanctioned, it is yet to see light of the day,'' says the latest report of the parliamentary standing committee on defence, tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Aeronautical Development Agency and DRDO argue developing a supersonic fly-by-wire fourth-generation fighter from scratch, with international sanctions in place for several years, is an incredibly complex and tough task.

The project, after all, includes single-seater IAF, twin-seater trainer and naval LCA variants. With Tejas prototypes clocking 1,350 flights till now, the "final operational clearance'' for the IAF variant is now slated for December 2012.

"So, IAF should have its first Tejas squadron of 20 fighters by 2014-15. Even Swedish Gripen fighter's developmental cost was around Rs 12,640 crore,'' said an official.

India, however, is now going in for foreign engines to power even the Tejas Mark-II version after the indigenous Kaveri engine failed to pass muster after 20 years of development at a cost of Rs 2,839 crore.

Consequently, while the first 20 Tejas will be powered by the American GE-404 engines, the hunt is on for new more powerful engines for the next six Tejas Mark-II squadrons (16-18 jets in each).

The Rs 13,000-crore mark for the LCA project is breached even if the Kaveri fiasco is kept aside. For one, the FSED Phase-I, which finished in March 2004, cost Rs 2,188 crore.

The Phase-II, which was to be completed by December 2008 at a cost of Rs 3,301 crore, will now get over in December 2012, with additional funds of Rs 2,475 crore.

Moreover, in November last year, the government "accorded'' sanction for "continuing FSED of LCA till December 2018, with an estimated additional cost of Rs 5,302 crore''.

Amid all this, IAF is keeping its fingers crossed, grappling as it is with a free-fall in the number of its fighter squadrons, down to just 32 from a sanctioned strength of 39.5


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tejas-LCA-project-to-cost-more-than-Rs-13000-crore-over-35-years/articleshow/5813290.cms

 

[ARCHON]

Tejas LCA project to cost more than Rs 13,000 crore over 35 years
TNN, Apr 16, 2010, 01.49am IST

NEW DELHI: The overall developmental cost of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft has quietly zoomed past the Rs 13,000-crore mark, with the government sanctioning the extension of the fighter's "full-scale engineering development'' (FSED) till December 31, 2018.

This, in effect, means the Tejas developmental saga will now stretch across 35 years, sanctioned as the project was way back in 1983 at a cost of Rs 560 crore to replace the ageing MiG-21s.

Tejas, in fact, can now give the Arjun main-battle tank a run for its money
in terms of years taken for full development. The tank project, after all, was first approved 36 years ago.

It is, of course, critical for India to boost indigenous defence production, importing as it still does 70% of its military hardware and software, but this probably is not the way.

"This is a very sorry state of affairs. Even after 27 years since LCA was sanctioned, it is yet to see light of the day,'' says the latest report of the parliamentary standing committee on defence, tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Aeronautical Development Agency and DRDO argue developing a supersonic fly-by-wire fourth-generation fighter from scratch, with international sanctions in place for several years, is an incredibly complex and tough task.

The project, after all, includes single-seater IAF, twin-seater trainer and naval LCA variants. With Tejas prototypes clocking 1,350 flights till now, the "final operational clearance'' for the IAF variant is now slated for December 2012.

"So, IAF should have its first Tejas squadron of 20 fighters by 2014-15. Even Swedish Gripen fighter's developmental cost was around Rs 12,640 crore,'' said an official.

India, however, is now going in for foreign engines to power even the Tejas Mark-II version after the indigenous Kaveri engine failed to pass muster after 20 years of development at a cost of Rs 2,839 crore.

Consequently, while the first 20 Tejas will be powered by the American GE-404 engines, the hunt is on for new more powerful engines for the next six Tejas Mark-II squadrons (16-18 jets in each).

The Rs 13,000-crore mark for the LCA project is breached even if the Kaveri fiasco is kept aside. For one, the FSED Phase-I, which finished in March 2004, cost Rs 2,188 crore.

The Phase-II, which was to be completed by December 2008 at a cost of Rs 3,301 crore, will now get over in December 2012, with additional funds of Rs 2,475 crore.

Moreover, in November last year, the government "accorded'' sanction for "continuing FSED of LCA till December 2018, with an estimated additional cost of Rs 5,302 crore''.

Amid all this, IAF is keeping its fingers crossed, grappling as it is with a free-fall in the number of its fighter squadrons, down to just 32 from a sanctioned strength of 39.5


Tejas LCA project to cost more than Rs 13,000 crore over 35 years - India - The Times of India

Wowww.. we can see a quality machine with this much R&D going into it.. Thanks mate for the information.Now we know we are serious in this.

 

[jagjitnatt]

Tejas definitely had to be more expensive than Gripen. Where Gripen is more of a imported parts glued together kinda plane, Tejas is going to be completely indigenous, in future, if not now.

Gripen uses imported engine, imported weapons, imported radar, almost everything is imported.

Tejas will use Indian missiles, Indian radar, Indian engine in future. So yes, this was very much expected.

But still when compared to programs like F16 and Mirages, Tejas is very inexpensive.

 

[nomi007]

tejas is not indigenous,or it will compare to western jets.

 

[KS]

^^^^^

here comes the all knowing magician to pronounce his wise statements.

If Tejas is not indigenous i dont think any country in the world has any indigenous fighters nd moreover coming to the topic hw is the gripen any way more Swedish that Tejas is any more Indian..?

 

[Mirza Jatt]

tejas is not indigenous,or it will compare to western jets.

right..we have borrowed Tejas from Nepal..

 

[pandamonkey]

aaaa besides the frame of the plane what part of the plane is made in india??? The kaveri engine is a failer, so the indians are getting a foreign engine, a homemade indian radar is non existant, so they are going for a foreign one, other compoments needed for the plane foreign.

Well atleast the frame looks cool

 

[sirius4u]

tejas is not indigenous,or it will compare to western jets.

Oh really??? Reasons????

 

[satishkumarcsc]

aaaa besides the frame of the plane what part of the plane is made in india??? The kaveri engine is a failer, so the indians are getting a foreign engine, a homemade indian radar is non existant, so they are going for a foreign one, other compoments needed for the plane foreign.

Well atleast the frame looks cool

Try reading something about Project Vetrivale/vetrivel. It might help you a bit about what we developed from it. Dont masquerade by just the word "Tejas". Its something very huge in terms and no wonder why Tejas costs more than Gripen.

The LCA is just one of the outputs of the project.

 

[ARCHON]

aaaa besides the frame of the plane what part of the plane is made in india??? The kaveri engine is a failer, so the indians are getting a foreign engine, a homemade indian radar is non existant, so they are going for a foreign one, other compoments needed for the plane foreign.

Well atleast the frame looks cool

Mr Pandamonkeyyy.. plss check the thread titled LCA tejas for what all parts are made indigenous.

 

[sirius4u]

aaaa besides the frame of the plane what part of the plane is made in india??? The kaveri engine is a failer, so the indians are getting a foreign engine, a homemade indian radar is non existant, so they are going for a foreign one, other compoments needed for the plane foreign.

Well atleast the frame looks cool

Oh by your saying, F35 is not American. More than 20 countries are involved in that project... Then it also means, jf17 s not urs or Chinese... Coz only the all metal frame is made by china with russian engine and a reverse engineered Radar which is useless.... First try makin a paper plane, and then comment about LCA...

Can you tellme wat parts u make for the thunder?

 

[pandamonkey]

i checked all the threads. All those thing that they clamied they developed are stilll in the development phase. The first batches of LCAs will have more foreign parts than local. However the later models will probely have all the things that the threads says they currently have. with is notttttttt true.

 

[KS]

aaaa besides the frame of the plane what part of the plane is made in india??? The kaveri engine is a failer, so the indians are getting a foreign engine,

the gripen uses a An american engine too..that too the same as Tejas - GE F404

a homemade indian radar is non existant, so they are going for a foreign one,

the radar that the Gripen uses is not a completely home made one.It s made with partnership with Italy(GEC-Marconi) and moreover based on the Marconis Blue Vixen radar used in Sea Harrier
nd also the indigenous MMR radar is almost complete nd will be in Tejas MK II

other compoments needed for the plane foreign.

Can u pls elaborate on that..?

nd since i ve given details abt Gripen will the world stop calling Gripen a Swedish fighter ..? - NO -.
Similarly Tejas will be an indigenous fighter.

 

[ao333]

Fair:

1) The author made a good point on the Arjuns, which won't FOC until 2012, allowing a R&D span of 38 years.

Unfair:

1) Unlike the Hornets and Su-33, India's naval version is packed with the LCA programme. The cost does not reflect only one plane, but 2, which are in the same program.

2) The LCA is nothing like the Gripen, which is a complete assembly program of foreign parts.

3) It is not that the LCA itself is expensive, but the patent fees, which the Europeans and Americans are demanding. That is one huge drawback in cooperating with new partners. They see it as a one time chance to scam, as India won't be able to buy many foreign aircraft for the next two decades (PAKFA/FGFA).

 

[pandamonkey]

sorry for the krapy spelling