Article Posted on : - Dec 09, 2009

INS HANSA, GOA (BNS): India's light combat aircraft Tejas has ended trials successfully clocking the fastest speed of 1,350 KMPH over the Goa skies during tests which lasted for two weeks here, a top IAF officer has said.

"The aircraft went past its ultimate speed of 1350 kmph on December 7 over the skies in Goa after takeoff from the naval air station INS Hansa," PTI quoted Commander Rohit Varma, project director (flight test), National flight test centre, as saying.

"This is the fastest speed ever achieved by an Indian- made fighter aircraft," he said, adding, "Tejas has already passed high-altitude tests in Leh, the desert rigours in Rajasthan and now it has proved its worth over the maritime space in Goa."

The LCA a project of Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), is the first supersonic fighter craft manufactured indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). ADA has introduced three aircraft in Goa for conducting various sea-level flight tests.

Other reports quoting P S Subramanyam, programme director of LCA, said that the LCA is on its way for induction into the IAF after achieving the initial operational clearance in December 2010. The aircraft will have both naval and Indian air force version.

According to officials, the naval version of the aircraft would be attached to aircraft carrier Gorshkov once the aircraft is inducted for operations. HAL will manufacture 20 LCA for the Air force and another 20 for the Navy.

The Indian Air Force is likely to base the lightweight multi-role jet fighters at Sulur in Coimbatore. "They are earmarked for squardron no 45, which will be the first LCA squadron," Varma said.