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For LCA Tejas, it’s now about months, not decades

anant_s

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NEW DELHI: India's defence R&D establishment will have to fire on all cylinders to fast-track the meandering Tejas light combat aircraft, which is still not fully operational or combat ready, if it does not want the Narendra Modi government to critically re-examine the entire project.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said "some other single-engine, lighter fighter" other than the home-grown Tejas could also be considered for a "Make in India" project to replace the obsolete MiG-21s.


Restricting the acquisition of expensive twin-engine French Rafale fighters to just 36 for now, instead of the original plan for 126 MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft), Parrikar stressed he was trying to plug operational gaps in airpower by improving serviceability of "heavy-weight" Sukhoi-30MKIs as well as "pushing" the DRDO-HAL combine to deliver Tejas faster.

"Don't compare Rafale, a top-end fighter, to MiG-21s, which we will phase out in about six to 10 years. The replacement for MiG-21s will be Tejas or some other single-engine, lighter aircraft. Tejas ki maar bhi kaafi hai (Tejas packs a punch) and it's much better than a MiG-21, but has certain limitations," said Parrikar.

Though some interpreted this to mean impending doom for the Tejas project, a top official dismissed it by clarifying the government was "just keeping all options open" to make "numbers" with IAF down to just 34 fighter squadrons when 44 are needed. "There could be scope for a single-engine fighter, which would be much cheaper than Rafale, somewhere between the capabilities of Rafale and Tejas," he said.

46927135.cms


Incidentally, the original plan was that six squadrons each of MMRCA and Tejas would replace the existing 10 Mig-21 and four MiG-27 squadrons. Parrikar, on his part, said, "In the next four to five years, we can add about six LCA squadrons if we push HAL, which I am doing."

DRDO-HAL will certainly need to be pushed on the Tejas project since it's critical for self-reliance in defence production. The first Tejas was handed over to IAF on January 17 but it was in "initial operational configuration (IOC)", which signifies its airworthy but not combat-ready. The pilot training and maintenance manuals are also still not ready, delaying its actual induction into IAF.

The fighter's final operational clearance (FOC), with integration of all weapons like guns, laser-guided bombs and BVR (beyond visual range) missiles as well mid-air refuelling capability, is likely to be delayed beyond the re-revised deadline of December 2015.

The Tejas Mark-II version which the IAF actually wants — with more powerful engines, airframe changes, weight and drag reduction — will begin to come in only by 2021 or so. So, Parrikar will need to do a lot of pushing if he wants swifter deliveries of the multi-role fighters.

For LCA Tejas, it’s now about months, not decades - The Times of India
 
NEW DELHI: India's defence R&D establishment will have to fire on all cylinders to fast-track the meandering Tejas light combat aircraft, which is still not fully operational or combat ready, if it does not want the Narendra Modi government to critically re-examine the entire project.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said "some other single-engine, lighter fighter" other than the home-grown Tejas could also be considered for a "Make in India" project to replace the obsolete MiG-21s.


Restricting the acquisition of expensive twin-engine French Rafale fighters to just 36 for now, instead of the original plan for 126 MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft), Parrikar stressed he was trying to plug operational gaps in airpower by improving serviceability of "heavy-weight" Sukhoi-30MKIs as well as "pushing" the DRDO-HAL combine to deliver Tejas faster.

"Don't compare Rafale, a top-end fighter, to MiG-21s, which we will phase out in about six to 10 years. The replacement for MiG-21s will be Tejas or some other single-engine, lighter aircraft. Tejas ki maar bhi kaafi hai (Tejas packs a punch) and it's much better than a MiG-21, but has certain limitations," said Parrikar.

Though some interpreted this to mean impending doom for the Tejas project, a top official dismissed it by clarifying the government was "just keeping all options open" to make "numbers" with IAF down to just 34 fighter squadrons when 44 are needed. "There could be scope for a single-engine fighter, which would be much cheaper than Rafale, somewhere between the capabilities of Rafale and Tejas," he said.

46927135.cms


Incidentally, the original plan was that six squadrons each of MMRCA and Tejas would replace the existing 10 Mig-21 and four MiG-27 squadrons. Parrikar, on his part, said, "In the next four to five years, we can add about six LCA squadrons if we push HAL, which I am doing."

DRDO-HAL will certainly need to be pushed on the Tejas project since it's critical for self-reliance in defence production. The first Tejas was handed over to IAF on January 17 but it was in "initial operational configuration (IOC)", which signifies its airworthy but not combat-ready. The pilot training and maintenance manuals are also still not ready, delaying its actual induction into IAF.

The fighter's final operational clearance (FOC), with integration of all weapons like guns, laser-guided bombs and BVR (beyond visual range) missiles as well mid-air refuelling capability, is likely to be delayed beyond the re-revised deadline of December 2015.

The Tejas Mark-II version which the IAF actually wants — with more powerful engines, airframe changes, weight and drag reduction — will begin to come in only by 2021 or so. So, Parrikar will need to do a lot of pushing if he wants swifter deliveries of the multi-role fighters.

For LCA Tejas, it’s now about months, not decades - The Times of India

Fly-away cost of LCA is Rs.162 Crores or $26 Million not Rs.220 to Rs.250 Crores as claimed in the article.

HAL pegs price of Tejas fighter at Rs 162 crore | Business Standard News

And since the programme began in 1983, about Rs 7,000 crore have been spent on the Tejas Mark I, by the end of this year, when it obtains Final Operational Clearance, it would have consumed a Budget of Rs 7,965 crore. Don't know where they got that Rs.55,000 crore estimate!

IAF will eventually but 14 Tejas squadrons or 294 fighters and IN some 50 of them.

IAF will buy 14 Tejas squadrons, lowering costs | Business Standard News
 
Fly-away cost of LCA is Rs.162 Crores or $26 Million not Rs.220 to Rs.250 Crores as claimed in the article.

HAL pegs price of Tejas fighter at Rs 162 crore | Business Standard News

And since the programme began in 1983, about Rs 7,000 crore have been spent on the Tejas Mark I, by the end of this year, when it obtains Final Operational Clearance, it would have consumed a Budget of Rs 7,965 crore. Don't know where they got that Rs.55,000 crore estimate!

IAF will eventually but 14 Tejas squadrons or 294 fighters and IN some 50 of them.

IAF will buy 14 Tejas squadrons, lowering costs | Business Standard News
Don't go by the values, most newspapers quote exaggerated values (we saw the same during contract values quoted for MMRCA). As production kicks up, per unit value would be close to 150-160 crore value, rightly said by you.
An important point in this article however is DM's remark on keeping the options for one more Light weight aicraft open if there are further delays in LCA program. Now i'm not sure what he means but it looks like that either government has Plan B here to cover up for LCA delays (what platform not sure) or it is an in-direct warning to get FOC for Tejas by its last deadline (Dec 15) or face budget cuts.
 
So basically in terms of price, 1 Rafale = 3 LCA ??

For its limitations, does that not make the LCA's price seem bloated at 220-250 Cr. per unit?
 
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