Five Tejas LCA fighters will fly to the United Kingdom, along with IAF C-17 aircraft to ‘provide the necessary transport support for induction and de-induction’.
The Gripen Partnership meet is meant to encourage its existing suppliers to meet and partner potential Indian suppliers for a potential Make in India Gripen production line.
“Unfortunately the LCA has not been able to meet the carrier capability required. So that is why we need an alternate aircraft now,” said navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba.
The Indian Navy is set to take a decision on the future of the naval LCA and will be considering alternatives for fighters to operate from what will be a CATOBAR Indigenous Aircraft Carrier-2 (IAC-2).
Saab proposes to train Indian engineers in Sweden to build Indian Gripen aircraft while simultaneously building a greenfield facility for Make in India.
Rafael’s Colonel Joseph Horowitz explains the capabilities of the Derby and Python systems at the Singapore Airshow 2016 and gives us updates on seeker technology and trials with India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
Our pseudonymous analyst Mark is back with his take on the story so far of the IAF’s quest for fighter aircraft. He last contributed a much talked-about two-part analysis of the MMRCA tender in April 2012.
With the IAF no longer interested in the development of the Mk2, the Indian Navy will undertake a process to determine if they should continue with the development of the model on their own.
The IAF has lowered the bar for HAL and ADA and given up on the prospect of an LCA Mk2 by agreeing to accept the existing LCA in large numbers but HAL still has to deliver the first aircraft from the earlier order.