Question: Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to satate :-

(a) whether it is a fact that there is an inordinate delay in manufacturing light fighter plane Tejas by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO);

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether Government, keeping in view the increasing strategic dangers in border areas of the country, will instruct the DRDO to manufacture light fighter plane Tejas at the earliest and will provide necessary facilities;

(d) if so, by when; and

(e) if not, the reasons therefor?

Answer: Minister of Defence (Shri A.K. Antony)

(a) It is a fact that there has been some delay in completion of project “Development of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas”. The aircraft is being manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

(b) The project ‘Development of LCA’ was sanctioned in August 1983. Project Definition Phase (PDP) of LCA was completed in 1988. In 1990, a decision was taken to undertake LCA development in two phases. In the first phase to build 02 Technology Demonstrators (TDs) along with development of critical technologies including Multi Mode Radar (MMR) and in the second phase to build Prototype Vehicles, integrate weapons, sensors, and flight testing leading to Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) and Final Operational Clearance (FOC).

Details of Phase-I and Phase-II of LCA development is given below:-

Full Scale Engineering Development (FSED) Phase-I of LCA:

Date of Sanction : June 1993
Original Date of Completion : June 1998
Actual Date of Completion : March 2004

Overall objectives of Phase-I was achieved with completion of 202 flight tests (123 hrs : 49 min) on 03 LCAs).

Full Scale Engineering Development (FSED) Phase-II of LCA:

Date of Sanction : November 2001
Original Date of Completion : December 2008
Revised Date of Completion : March 2015

Miscellaneous

Defence Economics & Industry