The dream of India’s first indigenous effort to build a carrierborne Naval fighter aircraft got a fillip with the crossing of another significant milestone of the first engine ground run (EGR) of the LCA (Navy) prototype NP1 on September 26. The team steering LCA (Navy) project comprises, members of the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, HAL, DRDO, CEMILAC, DGAQA, CSIR labs among other partners in the private sector.

The first EGR of NP1 aircraft was conducted with the primary objective of checking aircraft to engine integration and activation of the various systems like flight control, hydraulics, fuel, electrical, avionics, etc., which was successfully achieved.

The aircraft will now go through a phase of refinements based on feedback identified during the course of the buildup and also observed during the EGR, followed by a series of final integration checks and taxi trials before its maiden flight shortly.