Kalyan Ray, New Delhi, May 08,2015, DHNS:
The indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) will experience a major handicap in defeating the enemy due to non-availability and poor performance of three electronic warfare instruments, developed by Indian agencies.
During the trial, the all-important counter measure dispensing system that protects the aircraft against radar and heat-seeking missiles, could not do its job properly, leaving the jet with poor defence. The system was developed by , Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Limited.
It was not the only faltering system on-board the LCA. The self protection jammer that blocks the enemy radar was too big to be fitted into the Mark-I version of the LCA and the radar warning receiver, which alerts the pilots on hostile enemy signals, perform poorly. Both were developed by Bangaluru-based Defence Avionics Research Establishment.
“LCA Mark-I remains deficient in full electronic warfare capabilities as specified in the Air Staff Requirement (ASR),” the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) says in a review report that was tabled in Parliament on Friday.
The aircraft, which achieved initial operational clearances on December 2013, has as many as 53 shortfalls from the specifications drawn in the ASR.
Some of the shortcomings like increased weight, reduced internal fuel capacity, pilot protection from the front and reduced speed are to be addressed in the Mark-II version that was taken up by the Aeronautical Development Agency in 2009 and scheduled for completion in 2018.
Even after 30 years, the LCA could get only the initial operational clearance (IOC) in December 2013. The full operational clearance (FOC) is now targeted in December, 2015.
The cost is also rising all these years. What began as a Rs 560 crore programme in 1983 has now gone up by almost twenty times. The financial package for LCA now stands at Rs 8294 crore.
The auditor also criticised the Defence Ministry for awarding two commercial contracts to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 2006 and 2010 for delivering 20 fighter planes in each contract in the IOC and FOC configurations respectively to the IAF.
Both were termed premature because in 2006 LCA design was nowhere near finalisation, whereas in 2010 HAL was yet to supply any aircraft to the force as per the previous contract. Even now, the IAF is not in a position to operationalise the LCA squadron in the absence of a trainer aircraft. Moreover, HAL’s production capacity – four aircraft per year – is only half of what the government wants.
DH News Service
Sir,
I agree that there are issues with DRDO as well as the Armed forces but Govt. or Civilian generalist secretaries are not able to resolve issues and make the system move ahead. See, we talk of so many test(for Indian Aircraft), and so many issues, that, did we ever take test of MIG 29? I am talking of this aircraft because during the test of LCA it was detected that Klimov RD-33 whose specifications match with LCA power plant requirement was not selected because of issues with reliability/safety with engine. Now it means that Klimov RD-33 is being used in MIG-29 even with knowledge of the reliability/safety the question is why?
In past no checking was done is part one and now no redressal of issue even after knowledge is another big issue. We have recently imported MIG 29 for Vikramaditya aircraft why? Why did we not fit GE-404 to the new MIGs?
Who will resolve such issues? Why should the pilot keep on dying? Does the top brass of airforce care for pilots? Does the Govt. or Civilian generalist secretaries care for the pilots? Does DRDO care for the pilots? then why such neglect?
Why do we neglect foreign aircraft’s capabilities like bofors in 1980’s when we are so vigilant on Indian research? Is it because we take a pledge in school that “all Indians are my brothers and sisters”? Or Is there a corrupt angle to the foreign arms?
Please note if Indians are corrupt then DRDO and Armed forces as well as our leaders all will be corrupt none can be holy cow….
Please enlighten me. Why we butcher the pilots with shoddy arms?
Deepak