Tejas, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), is set to get Initial Operational Clearance (IOC II) tomorrow.
The aircraft indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by the defence public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is being inducted into IAF squadrons shortly.
"The production facilities have been set up at HAL and the aircraft delivery is expected to commence from 2014. We have plans to initially produce eight aircraft per year," said Dr. R.K. Tyagi, Chairman of HAL.
Further plans are afoot to enhance the production rate to 16 aircraft per year in consultation with IAF and Ministry of Defence (MOD).
“HAL is fully geared up to meet the challenging production schedule and hopes to fulfil the requirements of customers in a time bound manner,” said Dr Tyagi.
Tejas is a single engine, light weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter. It has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) with associated advanced flight control laws. Extensive use of advanced composites in the air-frame gives a high strength to weight ratio, long fatigue life and low radar signatures.
HAL carried-out around 500 sorties of LCA in the year 2013 which is the highest for any particular year right from the start of the programme. The previous highest was 280 sorties in the year 2009.
Outstation flight trials were carried out at Leh, Jamnagar, Jaisalmer, Uttaralai Gwalior, Pathankot and Goa for cold weather, armament and weapon deliveries, multi-mode radar (MMR), radar warning receiver (RWR), hot weather and missile firing flight trials this year itself.
Two aircraft have flown three sorties each on the same day during trials at Jamnagar in October-November 2013, demonstrating fast turnaround time capability.