Second Series production (SP-2) Tejas Light Combat Aircraft from the batch of 20 ‘series production’ aircraft is gearing up to make its first flight next month, Sources from LCA’s production agency Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd have confirmed this.
First flight of SP-1 aircraft was completed last year in October and earlier this year aircraft along with technical documents was handed over to Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha of Indian Air Force, by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in the presence of key officials from HAL and ADA.
Series production (SP) aircraft are being built at HAL’s production line in Bangalore and the first lot of 20 aircrafts will be built as per IOC-II standards and next 20 aircrafts as per FOC Standards. As of now, IAF has ordered 40 Tejas Mark-I aircraft to form two squadrons and first squadron would be based at Sulur, which will compose of only experienced pilots and Gradually, a younger lot would be brought in, said defence analyst close to idrw.org.
HAL plans to hand over 4 more aircrafts by March 2016 and 8 Series production (SP) Aircraft’s for FY2016-17. Quartz nose cone which have been handed over to HAL from U.K. vendor Cobham will be integrated into three aircrafts by next month and will being radar performance testing to complete last lap of the project, called FOC (final operational clearance),which will also involve testing of new refuelling probe along with Air-to-air missiles .
