..:: India Strategic ::. IAF: Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Fires Missile, Kills Target

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Editorial

Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Fires Missile, Kills Target

Published: December 2013

New Delhi. Tejas, India’s first indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), has achieved yet another milestone by launching an infrared seeking air to-air-missile, and also scoring a precision hit in killing the designated target.

India’s Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) announced that the successful missile test was conducted December 7 off the Goa coast in the Arabian Sea.

The missile, launched by the aircraft, hit a target towed by a pilotless aircraft, Lakshya (or Target), which is also developed by DRDO for aerial firing practice. The drone was launched from an Indian naval ship.

DRDO will conduct several tests with both infrared and heat seeking missiles.

In this particular test, Gp Capt Suneet Krishna (Retd.), who was flying the Tejas aircraft, sent a command through the aircraft’s fire control radar to the Infrared seeker missile on the aircraft’s wing to lock on to the target. The missile ignited, launched itself and homed on to the infrared emitting device of the target, smashing it on impact midair.

LCA is developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengalore, as the lead laboratory, with HAL as the design and production partner.

Dr Avinash Chander, Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, congratulating the team said: “With this launch of missile from Tejas and successfully hitting the target in the first shot, we have demonstrated the total weapon system capability of LCA Tejas.”

Tejas, a 4-plus generation aircraft, will be used both by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy. Indian Air Force officials said they are keenly awaiting the full potential development of the LCA.

A team from the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC), Aeronautical Development Agency, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Aeronautics Development Establishment (ADE), CEMILAC, DGAQA and the Indian Navy worked in unison towards this achievement.