AK Antony sets December deadline for final delivery of LCA Tejas

[thestringshredder]

It will be a race against time for the developers of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, as Defence Minister A.K. Antony has set a December 2014 deadline for the final delivery of the home-made fighter.
But going by the amount of work remaining on the aircraft, it will be a rush for the scientists to get the final operational clearance within the stipulated time. To achieve the target of getting combat ready, more than 1,200 parameters still need to be met.

The most crucial issues include getting a new radome for the aircraft as the quality of the previous one was found to be hampering radar performance.

Antony on Monday held a review of the Tejas, which is in the making for the last 30 years. The latest intervention from the ministry means that the project will be among the top priorities for DRDO, which has Dr Avinash Chander as its new chief.

The ministry has also asked Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to enhance its facility to produce 16 aircraft a year.

This again would be a gigantic task considering the fact that HAL took years to maintain the schedule of delivery of Sukhoi-30 aircraft after it was given the licence to produce in the country.

The delay in delivery of Sukhois has already impacted IAF’s operational readiness. The fresh impetus was needed as the aircraft missed another deadline this month when it was due to obtain second initial operating clearance (IOC).

November 2013 has been set as the new deadline for getting IOC-2, which is a crucial step before the aircraft is finally certified to be ready for induction. It takes more than a year to obtain final operating clearance (FOC) after the IOC.

The first IOC for the aircraft was obtained in 2011. Officials said the process of getting the radome, which houses the Israeli radar, from an indigenous source can itself take at least a year’s time.

On an average, 80 issues are addressed every month. There have been progress on many counts, admit officials, but a number of issues are yet to be resolved.

The cost of the LCA project has now crossed more than Rs.20,000 crore though it was initially pegged at Rs.560 crore in the early 1980s. The IAF is looking to raise only two squadrons of this version of the aircraft which is powered by GE-404 engines whose thrust is not adequate.

Link - AK Antony sets December deadline for final delivery of LCA Tejas | idrw.org

 

[Dillinger]

It will be a race against time for the developers of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, as Defence Minister A.K. Antony has set a December 2014 deadline for the final delivery of the home-made fighter.
But going by the amount of work remaining on the aircraft, it will be a rush for the scientists to get the final operational clearance within the stipulated time. To achieve the target of getting combat ready, more than 1,200 parameters still need to be met.

The most crucial issues include getting a new radome for the aircraft as the quality of the previous one was found to be hampering radar performance.

Antony on Monday held a review of the Tejas, which is in the making for the last 30 years. The latest intervention from the ministry means that the project will be among the top priorities for DRDO, which has Dr Avinash Chander as its new chief.

The ministry has also asked Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to enhance its facility to produce 16 aircraft a year.

This again would be a gigantic task considering the fact that HAL took years to maintain the schedule of delivery of Sukhoi-30 aircraft after it was given the licence to produce in the country.

The delay in delivery of Sukhois has already impacted IAF’s operational readiness. The fresh impetus was needed as the aircraft missed another deadline this month when it was due to obtain second initial operating clearance (IOC).

November 2013 has been set as the new deadline for getting IOC-2, which is a crucial step before the aircraft is finally certified to be ready for induction. It takes more than a year to obtain final operating clearance (FOC) after the IOC.

The first IOC for the aircraft was obtained in 2011. Officials said the process of getting the radome, which houses the Israeli radar, from an indigenous source can itself take at least a year’s time.

On an average, 80 issues are addressed every month. There have been progress on many counts, admit officials, but a number of issues are yet to be resolved.

The cost of the LCA project has now crossed more than Rs.20,000 crore though it was initially pegged at Rs.560 crore in the early 1980s. The IAF is looking to raise only two squadrons of this version of the aircraft which is powered by GE-404 engines whose thrust is not adequate.

Link - AK Antony sets December deadline for final delivery of LCA Tejas | idrw.org

@sancho @Abingdonboy

Please tell me Mr. Antony's not smoking fine afghan? At least they're not claiming its going to achieve FOC by then..that too before its manuals can be engineered.

 

[Bullet500]

what happens if the deadline expires and LCA is not delivered? Will someone get fired?

 

[deckingraj]

what happens if the deadline expires and LCA is not delivered? Will someone get fired?

Had that happened in past or even if there is a remote chance of that happening then u will see this project being managed way better then where we are today...Morons don't understand a simple thing...managing a project is as crucial job as building capability and investing in R&D..bcoz a poorly managed project results in avoidable delays and the end-user gets a product which may be obsolete by the time it is delivered...

 

[OrionHunter]

Final delivery? By Cesarian section obviously, as there's no way it can be a normal delivery!!

 

[senkakudefender]

Finally GPL mila inhe! Lazy arses!

 

[Parul]

It will be a race against time for the developers of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, as Defence Minister A.K. Antony has set a December 2014 deadline for the final delivery of the home-made fighter.
But going by the amount of work remaining on the aircraft, it will be a rush for the scientists to get the final operational clearance within the stipulated time. To achieve the target of getting combat ready, more than 1,200 parameters still need to be met.

The most crucial issues include getting a new radome for the aircraft as the quality of the previous one was found to be hampering radar performance.

Antony on Monday held a review of the Tejas, which is in the making for the last 30 years. The latest intervention from the ministry means that the project will be among the top priorities for DRDO, which has Dr Avinash Chander as its new chief.

The ministry has also asked Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to enhance its facility to produce 16 aircraft a year.

This again would be a gigantic task considering the fact that HAL took years to maintain the schedule of delivery of Sukhoi-30 aircraft after it was given the licence to produce in the country.

The delay in delivery of Sukhois has already impacted IAF’s operational readiness. The fresh impetus was needed as the aircraft missed another deadline this month when it was due to obtain second initial operating clearance (IOC).

November 2013 has been set as the new deadline for getting IOC-2, which is a crucial step before the aircraft is finally certified to be ready for induction. It takes more than a year to obtain final operating clearance (FOC) after the IOC.

The first IOC for the aircraft was obtained in 2011. Officials said the process of getting the radome, which houses the Israeli radar, from an indigenous source can itself take at least a year’s time.

On an average, 80 issues are addressed every month. There have been progress on many counts, admit officials, but a number of issues are yet to be resolved.

The cost of the LCA project has now crossed more than Rs.20,000 crore though it was initially pegged at Rs.560 crore in the early 1980s. The IAF is looking to raise only two squadrons of this version of the aircraft which is powered by GE-404 engines whose thrust is not adequate.

Link - AK Antony sets December deadline for final delivery of LCA Tejas | idrw.org

Tareek par Tareek Milti rahi hai My Loard PAR Tejas nahi Mila

 

[Dash]

Final delivery? By Cesarian section obviously, as there's no way it can be a normal delivery!!

........I couldn't resist

 

[Brahmos_2]

what happens if the deadline expires and LCA is not delivered? Will someone get fired?

hmm.....December 2014, I hope NaMo will handle them properly

 

[Riaz Hussain]

LCA is the best thing which has ever happened to pakistan!!



I hope an LCA gets into pakistan airspace while on patrol. I hope it happens soon........ it would be the best moment in the history of pakistan.

 

[SRP]

Final delivery!.........

 

[Koovie]

LCA is the best thing which has ever happened to pakistan!!



I hope an LCA gets into pakistan airspace while on patrol. I hope it happens soon........ it would be the best moment in the history of pakistan.

LCA is not meant to be our main pillar of air defence...... Sukhois, Rafales, upgraded Mig 29s and Mirages and the FGFAs are the ones which will be the pillars of our defence.

LCA was our first aircraft, and it provided us with invaluable experience, one of the most important things in aerospace engineering.!

 

[Dash]

LCA is the best thing which has ever happened to pakistan!!



I hope an LCA gets into pakistan airspace while on patrol. I hope it happens soon........ it would be the best moment in the history of pakistan.

Or Pakistan will be "History"?

 

[Riaz Hussain]

LCA is supposed to be a war machine to fight wars. Not some gaining experience. What would happen to it when it fights? Shall we see?


LCA's G tolerance is only 6Gs. When compared Mig-21's(which it is supposed to replace) is 8.5Gs.

Its empty weight is a staggering 6540kgs. This betrays the very name of this fighter, "Light Combat Aircraft". Also this is a fighter which is said to have composites extensively. Just leaves one wondering what's the point of composites if it got to weigh this heavy in the end. The Mig-21 weighs 5460kgs.

It has a Maximum angle of attack of only 22, compared to the Mig-21's Max AoA of 28 Degrees(recoverable).

Its radar is still under perpetual development. The Israelis were supposed to give their radar, but new news reports suggests they have pulled the plug. So LCA currently has no working radar.

Tejas' new IN20 engine has a thrust of 19100lbf or 8660kgf. But the Mig-21's Tumansky engine can throw out a jaw dropping 21829lbf during interception, and 15654lbf during dogfighting, but it is an old Turbojet model. Hence the MTBO(Mean Time Between Overhaul), SFC(Specific Fuel Consumption) and other parameters favor the LCA's engine. So India has atleast one feather in its cap. Or does it? When all the parameters are below average and this one alone stands out, it's pretty obvious the engine is imported. The IN20 engine which the LCA owes its life to came straight out of the General-Electric's factory in the US.

It has a thrust to weight ratio lesser thna the MiG-21 as well.

Its max speed is Mach 1.6. Mig-21's Mach 2.2.

Its price is a staggering 1.9 billion Rupees or $41-42 million at the current 2011 exchange rate(fly away cost, not the cost with development taken into account). When compared Mig-21's is < $2 million.

Aeronautical Development Agency(ADA) has promised these poor specs will be improved to 8Gs, 24 Degrees, Mach 1.8, with an indigenous engine in 3-4 years. But it is highly unlikely they will be able to achieve that given their track record. When it took ADA almost 3 decades to get to these below-average specs, its only logical to assume they need a miracle to improve their specs in such a short amount of time.

The Indian Airforce Chief PV.Naik came out with the truth that Tejas isn't a 4th Generation plane but rather only a Third Generation fighter. Perhaps he should have compared the specs first before classifying it as a MiG-21 on steroids("MiG-21++"). But then again the Foreign engine and a forthcoming foreign Radar, is and will be state of the art. Mr.Naik must have kept these 2 components in mind when he said that.

And not just the IAF chief, a good friend of mine suggested after witnessing the highly uninspiring characteristics of LCA first hand in Bangalore, in the Aero India held back in 2003, that the LCA program should be scrapped and India should go for Mirage-2000 ASAP. He even predicted the perpetual development schedule of the project if India doesn't abandon this fighter. Looking back, its frightening how accurate his words were, made way back in 2003. With such extremely poor specs my heart goes out to the brave souls who'll be flying this junk. It really lives up to its critic's name - Least Capable Aircraft!

Livefist: IAF Grudgingly Accepts Tejas IOC, Wants 83 Mk-IIs

 

[Riaz Hussain]

Or Pakistan will make "History"?

Fixed!