The Hindu Business Line : IAF places orders with HAL for light combat aircraft

INDIAN Air Force has placed firm orders with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for 20 of the indigenous LCAs (light combat aircraft) and expects to add 20 more to the Rs 4,000-crore order soon, Air Chief Marshal S.P. Tyagi revealed on Thursday.

The first fully airworthy LCA is expected to be ready by 2008 and the induction into service would begin in 2010-11, the Air Chief told a news conference at the Aero India show here.

HAL is to manufacture the twin-seater combat aircraft, powered by GE404 engine, while the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) here is developing the first homegrown fighter plane. Three versions of LCA — TD1, TD2 and first prototype PV1, have come out so far and the fighter has made over 350 test sorties so far since its first flight in 2001.

The next protype, PV2, is slated to fly in two months. The Air Chief said ADA had been asked to speed up the development and clarified that the delay over the project was no reason for IAF to seek 126 new fighters. IAF has sought details from four manufacturers for its new acquisition.

QuEST model

Meanwhile, the Bangalore-based engineering solutions provider QuEST on Thursday said that it had completed the development of full-scale model of LCA's next version, PV2, for ADA.

It has designed and manufactured the model which is on display at the Aero India 2005.

The Quest President, Mr Aravind Melligeri, said the design and manufacture of PV2 was accomplished in 12 months by a 40-member team from QuEST and its vendors. Over 2,000 design drawings were issued and manufacturing was coordinated through 15 vendors. The skin of the aircraft is made using FRP.

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