Newsnomics AJAY ANGELINA reporter |
India’s first squadron of LCA Tejas, the indigenous supersonic light combat aircraft is planned to be deployed
at Nal airbase in Rajasthan's Bikaner near the Pakistan border from where it can take care of India’s western
adversary, according to the India Today TV.
Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) got clearance to buy a total of 180 of these jets and is looking to get the
first aircraft by February-March of the coming year.
India’s Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari called it a "landmark event", saying "we already had 40 LCAs of the
original IOC (initial operational clearance) and FOC (final operational clearance) version. So, by having this, the strength of the IAF will grow to 220 LCA Mark 1As in the long run, which will equip almost ten squadrons of
the Air Force."
"It's a very capable and potent aircraft gives our trust in the capabilities of Indian defense industry shows we
firmly are committed towards Aatma-nir-bhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and ensuring that a large number of
our items on our inventory are made in India", said Marshal VR Chaudhry reported by news agency ANI.
LCA Tejas is a single-engine multirole light combat aircraft used by an Indian Military, designed to carry a
range of air-to-air, air-to-surface, precision-guided, and standoff weaponry, programmed to expand and develop India’s indigenous aerospace capabilities.
LCA Tejas is a single pilot single-engine aircraft with maximum takeoff weight of 13,300 kg. It has the maximum payload capacity of 4000 kg and the maximum speed of Mach 1.8 carrying general range of 850 km and
a combat range of 500 km.
Currently, Singapore, Egypt, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Turkmenistan, and Malaysia have expressed interest in
acquiring this aircraft.
With this India has been taken into a select group of nations — the US, UK, Russia, France, and China — that have developed aircraft capable of landing and taking off from the severely constrained confines of an aircraft carrier deck, which is barely 200 meters long.
