2018 December also may not be met. this is downright depressing now. If I missed my deadline so many times I would not only be fired but also sued by my employers.
LCA Tejas Mk1 & Mk1A - News and discussions
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2018 December also may not be met. this is downright depressing now. If I missed my deadline so many times I would not only be fired but also sued by my employers.
The bigger thing is its IAF suffering. 10 IOC2 aircrafts have been produced, 6 more are left (4 more are trainers which will go in Production after 2021). And the 20 more will only enter production after FOC is achieved.
So by no chance the 2018-19 FY will see a production of more than 7 LCA. Far from 16, not reaching even 8.
Air Force, HAL tussle to control Tejas fighter production
The Indian Air Force (IAF), which has long opposed the large-scale induction of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), could soon be given charge of manufacturing the Tejas in the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) complex in Bengaluru.
And Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has not so far toured the facilities of HAL, which remains India’s only aircraft manufacturer, is poised to accept the IAF’s bid for control.
The defence ministry, the IAF and HAL have all declined to comment on this development. However, authoritative ministry sources say an announcement can be expected soon.
Officials in HAL and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) – the nodal agencies responsible for the manufacture and development respectively of the Tejas – argue that handing over Tejas manufacture to the IAF at this point would effectively seal its fate, given the air force’s well-known preference for costly, imported fighters like the Rafale.
“The IAF has no tradition of manufacturing. There is a major cultural gap between flying fighters and building them,” admits one ministry official.
However, ADA’s development delays and HAL’s failure to ramp up production quickly and cheaply has weakened their influence with the ministry, which is inclined to believe that the IAF can resolve the difficulties.
ADA, which falls under the Defence R&D Organisation, is still struggling to obtain final operational certification (FOC) for the Tejas Mark 1, almost five years after obtaining initial operational certification (IOC) in December 2013.
Business Standard learns that about 1,100 test points still remain to be cleared before the Tejas is granted FOC. This would normally require about 200 test flights, given that a well-organised flight test programme clears 5-6 test points in each test flight.
However, lack of coordination between ADA designers and the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC), which is headed by a senior IAF pilot, means this seldom happens. That has slowed the progress towards FOC.
“We will be lucky to obtain FOC by end-2019,” says an officer close to the Tejas project.
There is also the issue of the Tejas’ rising cost. On Monday, the defence ministry told parliament that the initial order for 20 Mark 1 Tejas, which HAL had contracted in 2006 for Rs 2702 crore (and subsequently revised to Rs 2,813 crore) is now being sought to be retrospectively revised to Rs 5,362 crore – or Rs 268 crore per aircraft.
The ministry said this was on account of“changes in build standards for integration entailing procurement of additional Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), raw materials, composite materials, bought out items and consumables, tooling etc.”
The ministry also told parliament that a second contract for 20 Tejas Mark 1 fighters in the FOC standard, was concluded in 2010 for Rs 5,989 crore, or just short of Rs 300 crore per LCA.
Besides these 40 aircraft, the ministry said it had accorded in-principle clearance for buying 83 Tejas Mark 1A fighters with enhanced capabilities, including “Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, Self-Protection Jammer (SPJ) and Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) for which quotation has been submitted by HAL.”
Business Standard understands that HAL has priced the Tejas Mark 1A at more than Rs 400 crore per aircraft – only marginally less than the Sukhoi-30MKI fighters it builds at Nashik.
This cost could rise further, given that the air force is raising its capability demands from the Tejas Mark 1A. It is learnt the IAF has now demanded that the fighter be equipped with a sophisticated “software defined radio”, which does not equip a single IAF fighter so far.
To ramp up the Tejas production rate from 8 fighters per year to 16, HAL is building a second integration line in its Bengaluru complex, at a cost of Rs 1,231 crore.
Last November, Singapore’s visiting defence minister flew in the Tejas fighter. He was followed in February by the US Air Force chief, General David Goldfein. Both had praise for the aircraft. But the IAF’s endorsement continues to be conditional because of development and manufacturing delays.
The Indian Air Force (IAF), which has long opposed the large-scale induction of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), could soon be given charge of manufacturing the Tejas in the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) complex in Bengaluru.
And Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who has not so far toured the facilities of HAL, which remains India’s only aircraft manufacturer, is poised to accept the IAF’s bid for control.
The defence ministry, the IAF and HAL have all declined to comment on this development. However, authoritative ministry sources say an announcement can be expected soon.
Officials in HAL and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) – the nodal agencies responsible for the manufacture and development respectively of the Tejas – argue that handing over Tejas manufacture to the IAF at this point would effectively seal its fate, given the air force’s well-known preference for costly, imported fighters like the Rafale.
“The IAF has no tradition of manufacturing. There is a major cultural gap between flying fighters and building them,” admits one ministry official.
However, ADA’s development delays and HAL’s failure to ramp up production quickly and cheaply has weakened their influence with the ministry, which is inclined to believe that the IAF can resolve the difficulties.
ADA, which falls under the Defence R&D Organisation, is still struggling to obtain final operational certification (FOC) for the Tejas Mark 1, almost five years after obtaining initial operational certification (IOC) in December 2013.
Business Standard learns that about 1,100 test points still remain to be cleared before the Tejas is granted FOC. This would normally require about 200 test flights, given that a well-organised flight test programme clears 5-6 test points in each test flight.
However, lack of coordination between ADA designers and the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC), which is headed by a senior IAF pilot, means this seldom happens. That has slowed the progress towards FOC.
“We will be lucky to obtain FOC by end-2019,” says an officer close to the Tejas project.
There is also the issue of the Tejas’ rising cost. On Monday, the defence ministry told parliament that the initial order for 20 Mark 1 Tejas, which HAL had contracted in 2006 for Rs 2702 crore (and subsequently revised to Rs 2,813 crore) is now being sought to be retrospectively revised to Rs 5,362 crore – or Rs 268 crore per aircraft.
The ministry said this was on account of“changes in build standards for integration entailing procurement of additional Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), raw materials, composite materials, bought out items and consumables, tooling etc.”
The ministry also told parliament that a second contract for 20 Tejas Mark 1 fighters in the FOC standard, was concluded in 2010 for Rs 5,989 crore, or just short of Rs 300 crore per LCA.
Besides these 40 aircraft, the ministry said it had accorded in-principle clearance for buying 83 Tejas Mark 1A fighters with enhanced capabilities, including “Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, Self-Protection Jammer (SPJ) and Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) for which quotation has been submitted by HAL.”
Business Standard understands that HAL has priced the Tejas Mark 1A at more than Rs 400 crore per aircraft – only marginally less than the Sukhoi-30MKI fighters it builds at Nashik.
This cost could rise further, given that the air force is raising its capability demands from the Tejas Mark 1A. It is learnt the IAF has now demanded that the fighter be equipped with a sophisticated “software defined radio”, which does not equip a single IAF fighter so far.
To ramp up the Tejas production rate from 8 fighters per year to 16, HAL is building a second integration line in its Bengaluru complex, at a cost of Rs 1,231 crore.
Last November, Singapore’s visiting defence minister flew in the Tejas fighter. He was followed in February by the US Air Force chief, General David Goldfein. Both had praise for the aircraft. But the IAF’s endorsement continues to be conditional because of development and manufacturing delays.
Do whatever but snatch the control from HAL. These losers aren't good for anything.
When the maker and user are at same place , hopefully the time wasted by middle man MoD gets reduced.
Also Ada shouldn't be away from Hal .
Team work needs everyone to be together.
IAF should make sure there is no blame game.
Mod should spell out iron clad rule that certain percentage of inventory will be indigenous. That cannot be filled with imports.
I hope software defined radio is good to have feature that can added .. shouldn't introduce now to delay FOC
Yeah. You could be fired in private companies where they demand accountability... But DPiSUS are infested with unionized reservation quota chaap parasites where everything is CHALTA HAI....
AMBEDKAR ruined this country by reservation disease....
What I wonder is that with Three projects going on in parallel , that is
MK 1 ; MK 1 A ; And MK 2
How will ADA and HAL distribute their human resources
LCA programme Just shows how far have we fallen in this technological field
If Mk 1 is making them cry , MKI 1A is going to be an even bigger disaster
Mk 1 A by 2020 does not look possible
Mk1 is ending soon. HAL have their own manpower for Mk1 and Mk1A. ADA will shift focus towards Mk2.
1100 Test points left
If you read this last news again , one official quotes that FOC for MK 1 will happen in December 2019
So that automatically pushes MK1A to 2022
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@randomradio
@lcafanboy
If IAF realises that Mk 1A is also getting
Delayed it will push the Govt for F 16 or Gripen
2020 will be the decisive year for IAF future planning and acquisitions
We have to replace 5 planes till 2035
That is Mig 21, Mig 27 , Mig 29 ,Jaguar and
Mirage 2000
If nothing is procured then only Rafales
And Sukhois will be left
@lcafanboy
If IAF realises that Mk 1A is also getting
Delayed it will push the Govt for F 16 or Gripen
2020 will be the decisive year for IAF future planning and acquisitions
We have to replace 5 planes till 2035
That is Mig 21, Mig 27 , Mig 29 ,Jaguar and
Mirage 2000
If nothing is procured then only Rafales
And Sukhois will be left
Mk1A is already 2023. I would consider the delay worth it if the Kaveri happens.
Instead the 36 second tranche Rafales will solidify. If Dassault adds a significant MII program to it, then the IAF can push for 54 jets also.
Tejas just needs 200 more sorties. In a year, we do about 500 sorties. So, FOC by year end is almost fixed. I don't see why would anyone wait till 2023 for Tejas MK1A. Does anyone know how much difference is there between Tejas MK1 FOC and Tejas MK1A?
I have already lost faith in HAL, ADA and DRDO on LCA as by the time it will get ready the world will definitely shift to 5th generation fighters like Rafale F4, Gripen E, f-35. LCA Mk1A will be monkey plane and IAF will keep crying and shifting goal posts and HAL ADA and DRDO again doing catch up game and testing till eternity....
Rafale ca never be 5th generation and neither can Gripen E. F35 and PAK-FA are the only planes available in 5th generation that is still under productionI have already lost faith in HAL, ADA and DRDO on LCA as by the time it will get ready the world will definitely shift to 5th generation fighters like Rafale F4, Gripen E, f-35. LCA Mk1A will be monkey plane and IAF will keep crying and shifting goal posts and HAL ADA and DRDO again doing catch up game and testing till eternity....
That would also mean we will be left with 250 of Sukhoi and 72 Rafale to defend our nation from 2 of the world's most notorious countries Pakistan which We will be able to crush and China we won't be able to even stand...... And if it's 2 front war then it will be gang bang for India...