CGI of the LCA
Posted on 08/28/2009 12:30:05 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
India's light combat aircraft to phase out Russian jets
By Bappa Majumdar
NEW DELHI, Aug 28 (Reuters) - India will begin deploying its first locally made supersonic combat aircraft next year and gradually phase out its ageing fleet of Russian fighters, defence officials said on Friday.
Five Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) costing about $31 million each have already been manufactured by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and undergoing trials, while eight more will be ready by mid-2010, defence officials said.
"We can say 2012 is the key for our air force when we will not only have many LCAs, but by then we should also be able to induct more advanced multi-role fighters in the fleet," said air force spokesman Wing Commander T.K. Singha.
India started field trials to buy 126 multi-role fighter jets last week, defence officials said, moving forward on a $10.4 billion deal to modernise the air force.
Boeing's (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) F/A-18 Super Hornet, France's Dassault Rafale, Lockheed Martin Corp's (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) F-16, Russia's MiG-35, Sweden's Saab (SAABb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) JAS-39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, produced by a consortium of European companies, are in the race for the contract, one of the biggest in play.
"So we are looking at a scenario, where we will be able to raise our squadron strength considerably with more power," Singha said.
India wants to increase its air force squadrons from 34 (612 fighters) at present to 42 (756 fighters) by 2020 with modern aircraft.
Twenty LCAs will be deployed by 2012 and the plan is to manufacture 20 more in coordination with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), a DRDO official said in New Delhi.
"The LCA is now on track
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
CGI of the LCA
So...how long until they build the HAL-9000? It's ten years overdue...
Is that Dubya in the cockpit?
The fin flash is the old Alaska Air Command.
Build a ton of them, India. I suspect its only a matter of time before China is knocking down your door.
Actually, its more like a Mirage.
Pak AF used a version of F104 Starfighter that got raped by Indian AF Mig 21s in 1971. The LCAs (a generation ahead of the Migs) are slated to replace the very same Mig 21s.
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