IAF chief receives 1st LCA trainer from HAL, 7 more likely by March

State-run plane maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on Wednesday handed over the first trainer version of light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas to Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari at a ceremony in Bengaluru, with the twin seater set to fill a key training role in the air force and double as a fighter if needed, officials aware of the matter said.

- Rahul Singh

The aircraft is part of an earlier order for 40 Mk-1 jets in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations --- the first variants of the LCA. Of the 40 Mk-ls, the IAF has inducted 32 single seater jets and raised two LCA squadrons. The remaining eight aircraft are trainers.

HAL chief C B Ananthakrishnan said seven more twin seater aircraft will be delivered to the IAF by March 2024.