NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, conducted a sortie in the LCA Tejas trainer aircraft on Thursday to evaluate its capabilities and assess the progress of indigenous combat aircraft projects.
The sortie took place at the National Flight Test Centre, Aeronautical Development Agency, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Division in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
As an Experimental Test Pilot, Air Marshal Dixit has been instrumental in driving the Indian Air Force’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which aims to achieve self-reliance in the development and manufacturing of combat aircraft.
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During the visit, Air Marshal Dixit flew the Series Production Trainer-01 of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, which is currently undergoing final developmental test sorties. This firsthand experience provided him with valuable insights into the aircraft’s capabilities.
Currently, the Indian Air Force operates the LCA Mk 1 aircraft, and there is a pending order for 83 LCA Mk 1A aircraft. The visit to the Tejas Division also included a briefing from the HAL team on the production status of the trainer aircraft and the plan for delivering the LCA Mk 1A.
In addition to the LCA, Air Marshal Dixit visited the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand production line to assess the production status of the indigenous combat helicopter. The delivery of 10 LCH Limited Series Production aircraft for the Indian Air Force is nearing completion, and the production of the Series Production aircraft is expected to commence soon. This is in line with the order for 145 Series Production LCH for the Indian Air Force and Indian Army.
The Deputy Chief of Air Staff’s visit underscores the Indian Air Force’s commitment to advancing indigenous defense capabilities and achieving self-sufficiency in combat aircraft development.
The evaluation of the LCA Tejas trainer and the assessment of production progress for the LCH highlight the significance of these projects in enhancing India’s defence capabilities.
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