The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to acquire a second squadron of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), with approval granted for 20 more aircraft. While the contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has not, so far, been signed, it is understood that the second squadron will also run on the Mark I engines to be used to run the aircraft in the first squadron, which is to be inducted next year, after the IOC likely to be conducted by the end of this year.
The first squadron of LCA will be based at Sulur in Tamil Nadu, close to HAL’s Bangalore facilities to manage teething problems as efficiently as possible.
HAL is currently considering offers from Eurojet and General Electric to supply engines for the LCA. IAF sources said that while the LCA, was of ‘limited purpose’ with the existing engine, it was still far better than the MiG-21 aircraft it is intended to replace.
