File Photo: Light Combat Aircraft Tejas PV6 completes first flight successfully. (PTI Photo)
After a crippling three decade wait by the Indian Air Force for the home-made fighter jet Tejas, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has reportedly set a deadline of a month for training and maintenance manuals to be shared with pilots.
The first Tejas- a Light Combat Aircraft- was presented with much fanfare last month to the Air Force by the manufacturer - state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which is based in Bangalore. The Tejas is intended to replace the ageing Russian-made MiG-21 jets which are grimly referred to as 'flying coffins'. Nearly half of the entire strength of the MiG -21 have crashed over the years. The fighter jets were to be decommissioned by 2017, but retiring the aircraft was pushed to 2025, because of the delay in supplying the Tejas.
Even now, the Tejas is not combat-worthy. Advanced trials are planned for December 2015. Mid-air refueling has yet to be worked out, and radars and weapon systems have not been integrated, said sources to NDTV.
Without any manuals, the Tejas can for now only be flown by very experienced test pilots, a senior air force official said on condition of anonymity.
The design, development, production and induction of about 170 Tejas fighters (120 for the Air Force, 50 for Navy) will cost India over Rs 50,000 crores. The project was first cleared in 1983.
What the Air Force really wants is an upgraded avatar of the Tejas -the Mark-11 version - which will have more powerful engine and will be delivered at the earliest in 2021.