Tejas clears Navy’s vital test

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 13

In what is a significant milestone in the Indian military aviation, the naval varinat of Tejas, light combat aircraft (LCA), on Friday made it’s first-ever ‘arrested landing’, paving the way for its usage from an aircraft carrier.

‘Arrested landing’ was carried out at the Navy’s specially designed shore-based test facility (SBTF) at Goa. The facility has a ramp – to mimic the one on aircraft carriers – which facilitates ski-jump style take-off and also has ‘arrested landing’ facility for aircraft. The same parameters and method is used to fly and land fighter jets from the deck of sea-going aircraft carriers.

This will pave the way for this Indigenous platform to undertake aircraft carrier landing demonstration on board the INS Vikramaditya.

There is a difference between the Indian Air Force-version of LCA and the Naval variant. The under carriage of the naval version is stronger as the arrested landing is done by holding back a hook that hangs from the underbelly of the plane. A set of steel cables on the deck of the carrier stops the plane. The available landing space on an aircraft carrier is some 250 metres. The IAF version can land and stop at regular airfield.

The success had come about after several years of flight testing and four campaigns of dedicated testing at SBTF, Goa. Today the LCA (Navy) flight test team led by Commodore JA Maolankar, Chief Test Pilot, Capt Shivnath Dahiya and Commander JD Raturi successfully executed a text book arrested landing at the SBTF.

“This arrested landing heralds the arrival of true indigenous capability and displays the professional prowess of our scientific community. Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and design-and-build capability of HAL (ARDC), DRDO and CSIR Labs executed this land mark event,” Ministry of Defence statement said tonight.

This event marks the start of a new era where multiple agencies have come together to achieve a common goal. The participation of Certification Agency (CEMILAC), Quality Agency (DGAQA) and, above all, the men and women on the ground who serviced the aircraft and monitored it during strenuous trials.

Today’s event has put India on the world map as a nation with the capability to design a deck-landing aircraft.

Nod to Home-made guns for tanks

Army tanks will now carry India-made guns. The Defence Acquisition Council of the Ministry of Defence on Friday, maintaining focus on the ‘Make in India’ initiative, accorded approval for indigenous development and production of the 125 MM main gun for the T-72 and T90 tanks.