The indigenously built LCA Navy has received a thumbs down from India's navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, who bluntly said, "the LCA is not up to the mark yet," on Friday.
Lanba went on to say that they are now in the hunt for an "alternate" aircraft. Though he did not criticise the LCA Navy programme, he noted the under-testing aircraft is still not able to "take off with its full weapon load."
The new aircraft that India is looking at will be coming from elsewhere, which means it will definitely not come from Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) that is responsible for the development of LCA programmes along with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). The navy wants to acquire the alternate aircraft for navy within the next five years.
"The MiG-29K will operate from the Vikrant (first Indian built aircraft carrier). But we also need an alternate aircraft now. We are looking for it, as the LCA is not up to the mark yet. In the present form, the LCA cannot take off with its full weapon load," Admiral Lanba said. However, the navy is still encouraging ADA and HAL to develop the LCA Navy.
In April 2016, two prototypes of LCA Navy had successfully conducted 33 test flights from a so-called Shore Based Test Facility in Goa. The tests saw the prototypes taking off with two R-73 air-to-air missiles and with the aid of ground-based ski-jump.
Previously, CD Balaji, head of ADA, was confident that LCA Navy would pull off tests and have a positive outcome. "By mid-2017, we will have established on the SBTF that the Naval Tejas can be flown off an actual carrier, and we will then graduate to ship-based testing. We currently have two prototypes in testing, and will build a third by then," Business Standard had quoted him as saying.
The LCA Navy is a light, single-engine multi role aircraft and another aircraft with similarities to the LCA Navy is the Sea Gripen from Sweden's Saab.
Gripen had earlier participated in the deal for 126 MMRCA aircrafts, but lost to Eurofighter and Rafale. However, Saab officials have been reported to have made several presentations to theIndian defence ministry, air force and navy over Gripen-E and Sea Gripen aircraft offer.
Saab was also reported to have received Request For Information (RFI) from the Indian Navy for the supply of carrier-borne fighter aircraft, as early as 2009.
Saab has already revealed its readiness to comply with the current government's initiative of "Make in India," and to open a production line in the country.
The Sea Gripen is the naval variant of its Gripen NG fighter. Gripen would cater to both CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery) as well as STOBAR (Short Take Off But Arrested Recovery) operations.
It will be interesting to see what aircraft Indian Navy will finally choose as India will also be looking at the pricing, the technology transfer and the life cycle costs, while picking its next aircraft for carrier operations.
