Article Posted on : - Feb 28, 2012

Tejas Light Combat Aircraft.

NEW DELHI (PTI): The Defence Ministry has given its approval for production of eight Tejas Light Combat Aircraft for the Indian Navy's indigenous aircraft carrier, which is currently under construction.

The nod to the Naval LCA programme was accorded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday last week, Ministry officials told reporters here.

The DRDO has been working on the development of the naval version of the LCA for quite some and it achieved a milestone after a successful engine run last year.

The aircraft is likely to get on with its first flight testing before the end of this year.

The 40,000-tonne Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), which is under construction at the Cochin Shipyard, will carry over 30 combat aircraft along with helicopters.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has also prepared a shore-based test facility at INS Hansa in Goa for carrying out trials of the Naval LCA.