India has
officially launched a program aimed at creating its own single-engine
combat aircraft that will require no technology from abroad.
New
Delhi seeks to procure 83 combat aircraft produced by the state-owned
Hindustan Aeronautics LTD (HAL) in an attempt to free its air force
from dependence on imported technologies, Defense One reports.
According to the report, the airplane, designated LCA
(Light Combat Aircraft) Mark-1A, is going to be "truly a
fourth-generation fighter," equipped with service-specific Active
Electronically Scanned Array radar, or AESA; air-to-air refueling pods;
self-protection jammers; and improved avionics and core systems.The procurement program will cost $8 billion and is currently the
largest purchase made under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make
in India" program, which seeks to alleviate India's dependence
on imported products.
The announcement comes months after Indian authorities
attempted to place an order of 105 LCA Mark 2's, a futuristic aircraft
currently under development, which would have costed $15 billion. The
procurement is in an uncertain state since, according to military
experts, the program lacks clarity and immediate priorities.
"LCA Mark 2 is a far-fetched vision.
The service wants improvement on the existing LCA to address all issues
of looms, improvement in performance, interchange ability, improved
US-made GE 414 [engines], improved avionics and missiles to be fitted
on it," a senior Indian Air Force official told Defense News
in September.
According to Daljit Singh, a defense analyst and retired
Air Force air marshal, the Mark 2 program "was proposed by the Indian
Air Force to ensure that the aircraft complies with the majority of air
staff requirements. However, that would involve major design changes
of the fuselage to accommodate a more powerful engine."
The Air Force has already put an order in for 20 improved
Mark 1 fighters. After the new planes are certified for operation, the
Air Force plans to place a bid on another 20.
The LCA program began in 1993, but so far HAL only managed
to deliver six planes. Currently, the Indian Air Force relies on a
variety of Soviet and Russian aircraft, as well as some French Dassault
Mirages and UK/France SEPECAT Jaguar attack aircraft.
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