Thirty-two years after the project was sanctioned, the first India-built Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was on Saturday handed over by Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to the Indian Air Force. The handover signals the start of a process of induction of the fighters being built at home under a project which has already cost the exchequer nearly $1.3 bn.
The entire project by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is estimated to cost over $4.85 bn.
The aircraft that has been handed over has got Initial Operational Clearance-II, which signifies that Tejas is airworthy in different conditions, sources said. The Final Operational Clearance (FOC) is expected by the year-end.
This version of the aircraft lacks the latest electronic warfare suite, which was integrated into one of the LCAs two weeks ago, mid-air refuelling and long-range missiles capabilities, among other things that the FOC-configuration aircraft will have.
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