Now this is the point it does not match because LCA is light MRCA and F-16 is medium wt MMRCA. So LCA would more suit for the point defense, interceptor and CAS not as the deep strike attack mission. Thats point was made you to realized how the Import Looby plays its part to defame the LCA in among the general people.
What ever you and me are getting the news are from the newspaper and the articles written by mumbo jumbo defense journalists. You very well know that India is the biggest importer of the weapons. So if India starts making its own weapon in India by their PSU's and Indian OEM, they will loose Billions of the profit they earn them from importing that to India. So how much do they have to pay do you think to Reutors, Media, Newspapers, experts writter, to write articles against Indian weapon.
The Magic word is FLAWED which is used by all the variants of the original article given them to copy.
In the modern world only USA, RUSSIA, and Europe can make the complete fighter plane industriously, so why blaming India for the import item. It is not practically and economically possible to develop each and every subsystem in the country. When you develop the system various subsystems can be choosed from various OEM depending of the situation and requirement.
Our ADA designer should be praised that they set so much high target which help the LCA to survive from being send to the dustbin after declared absolute.
Take all those claim with the Pinch of Salt.
Both have same Combat and ferry Range.