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Major milestone for India: Tejas receives Initial Operational Clearance

Major milestone for India: Tejas receives Initial Operational Clearance

By :  DC Correspondent
Update: 2013-12-20 10:32 GMT
The Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, takes off during its initial operational clearance for induction into the IAF, in Bengaluru on Friday. LCA Tejas received Initial Operational Clearance for induction into Indian Air Force.
LCA Tejas makes a smooth landing at Bengaluru on Friday.
DRDO Chief Avinash Chander handing over a memento to Defence Minister A.K. Antony.
HAL carried out around 500 sorties of LCA in 2013 and conducted outstation flight trials at Leh, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, Uttaralai Gwalior, Pathankot and Goa for cold weather, armament and weapon deliveries, MultiMode Radar (MMR), Radar Warning
HAL officials said production facilities have been set up at its facility here and it plans to initially produce eight aircraft per year and increase it to 16 aircraft per year in consultation with IAF and Ministry of Defence.
The LCA programme, cleared in August 1983 at a cost of Rs 560 crore to replace the ageing MiG-21s in its combat fleet, has missed several deadlines.
LCA, named Tejas by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003, had received the first initial operational clearance in January 2011 when IAF had expressed various reservations and sought modifications.
"It is a great day for India today...," Antony said in his speech after Tejas aircraft roared over the Bangalore skies.
With the IOC 11, the single engine, light weight and highly agile front line fighter can now be flown by regular IAF pilots for officially undertaking flight evaluation trials in a significant development in the Rs 7,000 crore programme.
After IOC II, which signifies Tejas is airworthy in different conditions, HAL will go ahead with the Series Production of multi-role fighter which will, however, have to cross several milestones before it receives the Final Operational Clearance (
This signals the home grown fighter aircraft's another milestone in its long and arduous three-decades-long journey since the project was first cleared in 1983.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony hands over the 'Release to Service' document to Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne in the presence of the DG-Aero and CE CEMILAC Dr K Tamil Mani in Bangalore on Friday.
This development takes the aircraft a step closer to its induction into IAF squadron.
Major milestone for India: Tejas receives Initial Operational Clearance

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