IAF chief urges Aeronautical Development Agency to stick to timelines for operational readiness

Bengaluru, Jan 4 (PTI) Air Chief Marshal A P Singh on Sunday said the Aeronautical Development Agency must strictly adhere to delivery timelines to keep the Indian Air Force operationally ready in a rapidly evolving security environment.

He was speaking after inaugurating the two-day national seminar ‘Aeronautics 2047’, organised by ADA at the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) here.

The seminar marked 25 years of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas flight programme, and the Chief of the Air Staff congratulated ADA on achieving the milestone, according to a statement.

Emphasising the urgency of timely inductions, Singh said there was a need to adhere to delivery schedules to ensure the IAF remains operationally prepared in constantly evolving times.

Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development, and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Samir V Kamat, underscored the importance of developing indigenous cutting-edge technologies to reduce import dependence and realise the vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047.

The seminar has brought together domain experts, industrial partners, academia, aviation enthusiasts and speakers from across the aerospace ecosystem to deliberate on the evolution of aeronautics, design innovation, manufacturing and future frontiers, the statement said.

Discussions are focused on next-generation aircraft manufacturing and assembly, digital manufacturing, aerodynamics for future combat aircraft, propulsion technologies, flight testing techniques, digital twin technology, certification challenges, flight control systems and avionics, maintainability issues, artificial intelligence in aircraft design, and precision manufacturing of actuators.

According to the statement, the event will also trace the journey of the LCA Tejas from concept to squadron.

Designed and developed by ADA, the aircraft has completed over 5,600 successful flight trials, with more than 100 government laboratories, academic institutions and industries contributing to the programme.

Several niche technologies, including carbon composites, lightweight materials, fly-by-wire flight control systems, digital utility management systems and a glass cockpit, were developed to make the LCA a fourth-generation fighter, it said.

The LCA Mk-1A, an advanced variant of the indigenously designed and manufactured fighter aircraft, is expected to meet the operational requirements of the IAF, while the LCA Mk-II and LCA Navy variants are currently under development.

A series of technical talks by distinguished speakers associated with the Tejas programme will be delivered during the seminar.

"India has benefited enormously from the development of the LCA Tejas, having acquired both the capability and capacity to build fighter aircraft indigenously," the statement said.

"The LCA programme is one of the most successful indigenous defence programmes, through which the IAF has been equipped with an exceptional air-superiority fighter. So far, 38 aircraft—32 fighters and six trainers—have been inducted into two IAF squadrons," it added.

As part of the seminar, several public sector undertakings, defence PSUs, industries and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are showcasing indigenously designed and developed products for airborne applications, it further said. PTI GMS SSK