India expects to induct the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), already delayed by more than 15 years, into the Air Force by March 2011, said Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony.
Antony provided the date in a written reply to the Indian Parliament March 8, adding that a high-level review is being conducted quarterly by the chief of the Air Staff and monthly by the deputy chief of the Air Staff.
The Air Force has already inducted 20 LCAs into the Initial Operational Clearance stage. The service has a requirement for more than 200 LCA-type aircraft.
LCA weapon installation is proceeding, with the integration of a multimode radar to the weapons suite nearing completion, Defence Ministry sources said.
"There was a delay in the development of LCA due to certain technical complexities and denial of critical technologies. $717.8 million was sanctioned for the development of LCA, which includes manufacture of eight numbers of limited series production aircraft. An additional $538.2 million has been approved by the government for LCA Phase-II program," Antony told Parliament.
Conceived in 1983, LCA is an advanced technology, single-seat, single-engine, supersonic, lightweight, all-weather, multirole, air superiority fighter designed for air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea combat roles.
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