Indian Military Aviation News and Discussion

[Arun_S]

Oh well, DDM PsyOp title to kill Indian public spirit.



[url="http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/574749/"]Akash, LCA get fresh lease of life[/url]

Johnson TA Posted online: Wednesday, Feb 03, 2010 at 0050 hrs Bangalore : In a boost to indigenous projects, [b]Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday announced a Rs 4,000-crore push for Akash missiles for the Army and a Rs 8,000-crore push for the Light Combat Aircraft[/b] programme’s naval and air versions. [color="#2e8b57"]The weapons at trial stages have not satisfied user agencies in recent days.[/color] The minister was on a tour of defence facilities here. Antony said the Defence Acquisition Council had on Monday cleared the path for the procurement of six more squadrons of Akash missiles to add to existing two. Each squadron comprises 125 missiles and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) had been chosen to build systems for them, Antony said during the unveiling of a digital flight control computer manufacturing facility for the LCA at BEL. [b]“Initially, the Army wanted to exit the Akash missiles programme. What were doubts are now becoming reality. Now they are very happy with the system,” Antony said.



[/b]According to the minister,[b] similar doubts over the LCA and MBT battle tank were also disappearing. “[/b]The Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared a Rs 8,000-crore investment in the LCA development programme for further development of the naval and air versions, also for the development of new engines for naval model,” Antony said.



The [color="#2e8b57"]LCA project recently ran into rough weather with the Navy expressing doubts over the development of a naval version of the indigenous aircraft[/color].



Antony said the LCA would be ready for use by the Indian Air Force by the end of 2012. The IAF has ordered for 20 LCAs or Tejas as they are known. The purchase of another 20 had been cleared and was awaiting Cabinet clearance, he said.

[url="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-5529518,prtpage-1.cms"]On for 27 yrs, LCA project gets Rs 8,000 crore more[/url]

TNN, 3 February 2010,

BANGALORE: What Tejas wants, Tejas gets. The much-delayed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme will get an additional funding of Rs 8,000 crore.



Tejas, India’s effort at building an indigenous trainer — in the making since 1983 — will obtain initial operational clearance by the year-end. The government had spent Rs 4,800 crore on the LCA programme till 2009-end.



There has been all-round scepticism of the project over its inordinate delay. Experts have questioned the wisdom of continuing it, and dubbed it a total failure. But defence minister AK Antony on Tuesday strongly defended the LCA programme. ‘‘Today I can assure you with confidence... I can declare at last LCA is going to be a reality,’’ he said.



Dismissing all criticism about the project taking close to three decades, he said that all agencies involved strongly believed in LCA. The Centre would back the development team’s demands.



Maintaining that LCA had to undergo rigorous trials before it became a complete fighting machine, Antony said the development of a new aircraft was not easy; the gestation period is very long. ‘‘Don’t expect miracles. Our expectation is to give a momentum for indigenization.’’ Admitting that Tejas still has a long way to go, he expressed confidence it will get final operational clearance by end of 2012. The Indian Air Force has already ordered 20 LCAs and expressed interest in ordering another 20 aircraft. Antony said the government is in talks with parties abroad for the development of an engine for Tejas.