LCA is a PROGRAM. A Program by definition has a END DATE. LCA development is complete. The Program is OVER.
Every Program, have some goal -- here in this case to lower the technological gap, and to develop the whole ecosystem in the country to make self reliance in combat aircraft, and in this learning procedure develop and build, a fighter plane called LCA - later named Tejas by former PM Atal Bihari Bajpai which was planned to replaced the ageing old Mig-21 which was bought from Soviet, and later licensed produced by HAL. The program is not over Yet.
Time to hand over the baby to the parents and move on to the NEXT PROGRAM.
ADA is the chief designer of the LCA so it becomes father or mother whatever you can call.
HAL is the chief integrator of the LCA, so when LCA will be produced, it will be called HAL Tejas instead of LCA Tejas.
Design have been frozen and SOP given to the HAL, now HAL will plan, design gigs, dies, tools, machning to produce LCA of which 20 will be of IOC stage, and rest 100 will be of
SOP-18.
There is no MK-1A, its just named by some jurno in an article.
You are confused ADA is just a developer of the LCA Tejas.
ADA will move on to next project aka MK-2 and naval MK-2, but before that ADA need to certify this plane with SOP-18 level, and the certification is not done by ADA, but the institutions like CELEMAC, CABS etc. and after the production HAL will certify the quality of the product from its production
As far as you idea of simply giving it to the private players is concerned, than there is no Indian Pvt. company, that have the technologies, machining, and experience to take up this fighter plane development other than producing subsystem, and that's whats happening here where HAL will be the chief integrators, but pvt players could get the subsystem building shares.
Evolution of the LCA should now be HAL's responsibility or ANY other private organization. All GoI has to do is FUND it. There will be plenty who will want to take it up if FUNDING is available.
When LCA is not developed by HAL, so how could the evolution of the LCA is HAL's responsibility. They are been given a blueprints, SOP, and all design drawing and list of subsystem to build a fighter planes that's it and they will be paid for that.
And why should GOI give fund for R&D, when they got fund 1200 Crore for setting up the line for the production of the LCA Tejas, half of which will be paid by IAF, and IN combined.
DRDO should move onto AMCA and start breaking the boundaries you have mentioned and take up the challenges. And they need to put their BEST men on the job. Men who have experience in developing the LCA.
AMCA still in preliminary design phase, and they haven't recieved money to launch full scale R&D yet, but before that IAF or IN have to issue
ASQR to tell what are their requirement.
Okay, let's suppose, India copies or reverse engineers weapons. Your friend China copied plenty of Sukhois and MiGs.
But what do you guys do? Tell me.
OLD story, it was the plan in 80's when IAF plan was to acquire 160 Mirrage 2000 with first 50 fly away, and later 110 licence build by HAL, but for unknown reason the Congress led govt. develop's love for the Soviet and decided to stop at 50 number, and they went for MIg-29, Mig-23 for air superiority, and for ground attack MIg-27.
