Srirangan

IAF to procure 126 LCA Tejas fighters by 2010
URL: http://www.india-defence.com/reports/943
Date: 26/11/2005
Agency: Press Trust of India
Topics: india indian air force defense military

Panaji: Indian Air Force is in the process of procuring 126 HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi said here.

"The aircraft would be procured towards the end of this decade and no specific deadline is set for it," Tyagi told reporters during a ceremonial passing-out parade at INS Mandovi, Goa.

"We will make a request to many countries for procuring LCA's. The total estimated budget for this procurement cannot be mentioned at this moment," he said.

"Indian economy is growing at a reasonable rate and under such circumstances we will have to purchase technology that will give us reach and which is within our budget," Tyagi said.

When asked to compare Indian Air Force with its US counterpart, in view of the recent joint exercises, Tyagi said "we cannot compete with the US as their requirements are different from ours."

On the strength and vigilance of the armed forces in the border regions, Tyagi said "Kargil cannot happen again."

Asked about the proxy-war unleashed by terrorists in the country, he said, "terrorism has to be tackled on different fronts and that does not mean that we should stop our diplomatic talks with the neighbouring countries."

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Samudra

Sri,


DDM.

Srirangan

Hmm.. not so sure

Jay

DDM. 126 LCA's in 4 years??

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platinum786

i think if you read carefully he says...
which means probably that they'll start getting them by 2010 and onwards....
because 4 years 126 fighters....i don't think you've even got a working finalised prototype have you?

If a production modelwa s ready then yea, why not, but i don't think one is.

Jay

Heh...126 is still impossible. i would say 80-100 is a more realistic estimate for 4 years if and when the assembly line starts churning out pieces.

bull

and the LCA story continues....

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tphuang

impressive, I thought the 200 MRCAs would've killed LCA.

indianguy4u

MRCA contract wont kill LCA but improve it manifold. Radar, ordinance of MRCA would be carried into LCA too. IAF has more than 500 mig 21, 23, 27 & earlier model jags which needs replacement. Only LCA will be inducted in 2:1 scale as it will come around 20-22 million$ price tag, while MRCA wont come cheaper than 30 million $ for mig 35s, while other are even higher. So LCA is tailor made for IAF. But it needs to be refined.

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giggs88

Bad move.

Didn't the LCA already have a barrage of problems?

So instead of getting 126 foreign aircraft, IAf is going to settle for 126 indegenous LCA's?

indianguy4u

Not at all. Tell USAF to buy eurofighter as raport has become very expensive beast.

giggs88

Why the hell would we buy the eurofighter from eurabia?

We already have some of the best in the world.



Expensive? Yes. But it's the best, and we can afford some. So who cares?

indianguy4u

Similarly if LCA is ready, it will be procured instead on buying from foreign countries.

giggs88

That's different. There are many foreign aircraft that are better than the LCA. Why the LCA? I mean it's good that India did it indegenously and all, but weren't there already alot of problems reported of the aircraft?

So, getting those 126 LCA's wont really do anything in replacing those outdated mig21's because they're going to have the same problems and crash.

Or spend more time on the aircraft, correct its problems and then start rolling them off the lines.

Samudra

giggs,

IAF is not going to buy 125 LCAs before the end of this decade because the LCA simply is NOT READY!

The Kaveri engine for LCA is still being 'developed', while the multi-mode radar is under 'trails' on a hack, and the second prototype(third bird after two technology demonstrators) is yet to take to the skies.

Two squadrons of GE-F404 engine powered LCA by the end of this decade sounds reasonable.

Besides, word in the street is that the MRCA tender has been 'altered'.IAF will buy 200 aircrafts instead of 125 aircrafts.Chances are that the order might be split due to political compulsions and our boys interest in Uncles toys.

Its going to be F-18 + Mirage 2000-V-MKI for the MRCA contract IMHO.MiG is almost dying, and I dont see any other alternative.

Personally, I'd be happy if the French are asked to manufacture 80+ Mirages and the Americans make 30+, with ToT for another 90+ F-18s - only if the Americans are willing to sell us their dearest AESA radars.