A mobile grab of Tejas LSP-8 ahead of a low-speed taxi trial at old Bangalore airport.
By
Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service
Express News Service
Belgaum:
The near-perfect production standard version of India’s light combat aircraft
(LCA) Tejas is ready for its first flight at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) airport in Bangalore. Sources confirm to Express on Wednesday that the
Flight Readiness Review Board (FRRB) has now cleared the limited series
production (LSP-8) of Tejas for its flight, with a rider that it needs to
undertake one more engine ground run (EGR), low-speed taxi trial (LSTT) and
high-speed taxi trial (HSTT). “We are closing in and the flight is expected in
the next couple of days, if there are no last-minute surprises,” sources said.
The
last LSP variant of Tejas is gearing up for the flight just after defence
minister A K Antony recently asked its makers not to extend the Final
Operational Clearance (FOC) for Tejas, sighting that “there are no substitute
for self-reliance.” The LSP-8 is of the initial Operation Clearance (IOC) configuration
and marked for the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots to undertake flight evaluation
trials, along with LSP-7.
Quality concerns: Insiders
associated with the project, however, say that there are many build-standard
quality concerns of Tejas, all pointing towards HAL. “We have huge concerns
with the inferior standards of Tejas. The aerodynamics differences of the
contour surfaces are a concern. The ADA-HAL team is addressing the issue, with
actual readings and predicted values telling different stories,” says a senior
IAF official.
The
cracks in the project are becoming wide open with the Aeronautical Development
Agency (ADA) refusing to entertain any media queries on Tejas. Sources say that
there’s an uneasy calm prevailing in the programme, with increasing doubts being
raised by various agencies over the quality of Tejas being produced by HAL.
HAL
sources said that any modification introduced on the aircraft has to undergo an
extensive evaluation and validation by designers and certification agencies,
before the production agency can implement it. “The exercise is a time-consuming
one. Accordingly, the LSP-8 is now ready to take to the skies with all the
improvements introduced over the last few years,” HAL sources said.
The
Deputy Chief of Air Staff is reviewing the programme in Bangalore on Thursday
with the heads of all stakeholders, including HAL and ADA, to be present.
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