Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said this was the first time the LCA Mk-1 took part in such large force engagements and they are proud of its performance
The locally built Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1) proved its mettle in Tarang Shakti 2024, the largest multilateral air combat exercise to be hosted by India, while executing a variety of missions along with bigger and modern global fighter jets, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said on Tuesday.
“LCA [the smallest fighter in the drills] showed size does not matter. The aircraft proved its capabilities in realistic combat settings as part of both [friendly] ‘blue force’ and [hostile] ‘red force’,” Chaudhari said at a media briefing on the conclusion of the first phase of the exercise at the Sulur airbase near Coimbatore.
The chiefs of the French and German air forces, General Stephane Mille and Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz flew in the LCA Mk-1 on Tuesday. Also, Chaudhari and Spanish air force chief Air General Francisco Braco Carbo flew in the Su-30.
The first phase began on August 6 and involved the air forces of India, France, Germany, the UK, and Spain. The aircraft that took part included Rafales, Typhoons, Su-30s, LCA, A-400 military transport aircraft, and Airbus A330 multi-role tanker transport.
This was the first time the LCA Mk-1 took part in such large force engagements and “we are proud of its performance,” Chaudhari said. “Tejas is the epitome of our success in the self-reliance campaign. We will use the aircraft more in air combat drills both within and outside the country,” he said.
IAF has around 40 LCA Mk-1s and all of them are based in Sulur.
Major Alexis Galouzeau, 38, a French Air Force Rafale pilot who flew missions with and against the LCA Mk-1, was impressed with the capabilities of the Indian fighter jet. “It has fantastic manoeuvrability and can carry out a variety of missions,” he said.
The second and final leg of Tarang Shakti will be conducted in Jodhpur from August 29 to September 14. Just like the first phase, the second leg will also involve the participation of 70-80 aircraft including fighter planes, helicopters, special operations planes, mid-air refuellers, and airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft.
The air forces that are bringing their assets for the second phase include the US, Australia, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore. Russia and Israel, two of India’s main defence partners, are not taking part in the drills because of their preoccupation with the ongoing developments back home.
IAF chief endorsed the capabilities of the LCA Mk-1 at a time when its advanced variant LCA Mk-1A is delayed. “If we had adequate numbers of LCA Mk-1As, the aircraft would have taken part in Tarang Shakti,” Chaudhari said in response to a question.
A question mark hangs over Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) ability to meet the delivery timeline of the 83 LCA Mk-1As on order. IAF will have to wait longer for the first aircraft that was supposed to be delivered by March 31, 2024.
The first aircraft is now likely to be delivered only in November 2024. After missing the March 31 deadline, HAL hoped to deliver the first aircraft in July but again revised it to a later date in August.
IAF is unhappy with the current pace of the LCA Mk-1A programme because of the possible risks the delay in the induction of new fighter planes could pose to the air force’s combat effectiveness, and has flagged the hot-button issue to HAL, calling for timely execution of the ₹48,000-crore contract, as first reported by HT on July 12.
HAL had then said it will deliver 16 of these fighters to IAF in FY 2024-25 as per schedule. It also said it hoped to deliver all the 83 aircraft on order by 2028-29. The LCA Mk-1A made its maiden sortie from an HAL facility in Bengaluru on March 28.