Indigenous LCA Tejas to make it's magical debut in Republic Day Parade 2017

NationalDefence Bureau,

New Delhi 19 January 2017

Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) 'Tejas' will participate in Fly-Past at Rajpath for the first time in the Republic Day Parade-2017.

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) "Tejas" was inducted into No 45 Squadron 'Flying Daggers' of Indian Air Force (IAF) on 01 Jul 2016.

Air Commodore Rajiva Ranjan, Principal Director, Air Defence and Weapons System told to NationalDefence, "First time after a gap of almost 20 to 22 years you are going to see an indigenous fighter aircraft after a long break. Earlier we have flown the Maruts". "Three Tejas in Vic formation will fly over Rajpath. The aircrafts participating in RD Parade flypast do not have any weapons on board", he added. 

'Tejas' is the first advance fly-by-wire (FBW) fighter aircraft designed, developed and manufactured in India. The aircraft has been designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

It is to the credit of its designers, manufacturer, technicians and test crew, that LCA has flown more than 3000 sorties / 2000 Hrs till date without any accident. Tejas is an aircraft with a glass cockpit and is equipped with state of the art system and an autopilot. It can fire Air to Air Missiles, Bombs as well as Precision Guided Munitions.

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha was all praises for India's first Indigenously built fighter Jet Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas soon after taking first sortie in May last year. Air Chief Marshal Raha has said, "It is a wonderful aircraft, ready to fly. I had first sortie in this aircraft Tejas. It is a good aircraft and I think its a good aircraft for the airforce to fly", when an HAL officer asked to comment about the his first sortie in the aircraft. Watch Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha flying in LCA Tejas in this file video at url: https://youtu.be/CDg-7GVc41s

The induction of the aircraft is being undertaken in a phased manner. The IOC aircraft are armed with Close Combat Air to Air Missiles, Helmet Mounted Display and Precision Guided Weapons  like laser Guided Bombs. These aircraft are also capable of dropping unguided bombs with much higher accuracy due to highly advanced indigenous mission computer. 

The FOC aircraft would incorporate Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles, improved and better stand-off weapons and air to air refuelling capability. IAF is also pitching for additional LCA Mk 1A which would incorporate new generation Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar with simultaneous air to air and air to ground capability, an integrated advanced Electronic Warfare Suite, advanced air to air missiles and air to ground weapons and maintainability improvements.

The Squadron is presently operating from Bangalore and will be moved to Sulur near Coimbatore later. IAF will be flying its LCA 'Tejas' for the first time in this year's RD parade flypast.

Besides LCA Tejas, Rudra Helicopter, Mi-17 V-5, Mi-35 choppers, Jaguar, Mig-21 Bison, C-130 J Hercules, C-17 Globemaster will also participate in the RD Parade flypast. "AEW&C will also participate in the flypast", clarified a senior IAF official later in the day. Sukhoi-30mki will culminate the flypast by performing a vertical charlie maneuver. However, all eyes are set on LCA Tejas for it's magical debut in India's RD Parade.  Get full details of IAF participation in RD Parade 2017 from air force officials at video url: https://youtu.be/LjpaSjbnyt4

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