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World Defense & Security News - India
 
 
Indian Air Force likely to receive four more Tejas light combat aircraft by 2015-end
 
The Indian Air Force is likely to get four more indigenously made light combat aircraft Tejas by the end of the current financial year from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories' Director Shyam Chetty has said. "The four aircraft may adhere to international standards on end-to-end accuracy," Chetty said, adding, further research was on to meet the parameters stipulated by the IAF.
     
The Indian Air Force is likely to get four more indigenously made light combat aircraft Tejas by the end of the current financial year from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories' Director Shyam Chetty has said. "The four aircraft may adhere to international standards on end-to-end accuracy," Chetty said, adding, further research was on to meet the parameters stipulated by the IAF.
Indian Air Force HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft
     
IAF had some concerns with Tejas's end-to-end accuracy and efforts have been made to rectify it, he said speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 68th CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute Foundation Day Celebrations here on Saturday.

"The Indian Air Force wanted eight aircraft every year. We will be handing them four more aircraft by the end of this financial year," he said.

The country got its first indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas in January this year, three decades after the Centre gave nod for its development, said the Indian-based newspaper Economic Times.

The aircraft handed over in January could take off with only restricted weaponry and sensors and tests with a full range of weaponry was yet to be done, he added.

"We have missiles from countries like Russia, France, and Israel. We have to integrate them with the [Tejas] aircraft and conduct tests," he said.

Scientists are presently conducting trials for Tejas at the sea-based test facilities at INS Hamsa in Goa.

He also referred to some manufacturing issues concerning Tejas.

The HAL Tejas is an single-seat, single-jet engine, multi-role light fighter developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is a tailless, compound delta wing design powered by a single engine. It came from the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme, which began in the 1980s to replace India's ageing MiG-21 fighters.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) was reported to have a requirement for 200 single-seat and 20 two-seat conversion trainers

(Source: Economic Times)